The EONavi-2 project intends to support the BMLV's urgent need to improve access to precise and up-to-date information on the navigability of landscapes in any global operational area. These digitally created maps serve as the basis for off-road navigation in different terrains (cross-country movement, also cross-country mobility (CCM)) by various units and vehicle types (cars, trucks, tanks, etc.). Based on the results of the EONavi project, which demonstrated an innovative use of ESA Copernicus satellite data (Sentinel-1/2, DEM) and OpenStreetMap (OSM) data for the creation of dynamic navigability maps, EONavi-2 aims to further develop the tried and tested technologies in order to expand additional data sources (soil moisture, weather) and make them applicable at a higher technological maturity level (TRL-6) in the "Dynamischen Gesicherten Militär Netz" (DGMN).
The ability to create navigability maps based on various remote sensing data (Sentinel-1/2, DEM, aerial photographs, LiDAR, soil moisture, ...) and geodata (e.g., OSM) offers immense advantages for a variety of military applications at a strategic and tactical level (including in operations planning, military logistics or as part of assistance missions in disaster management). When planning military operations, collecting the current situation picture is of crucial importance. The cartographic preparation of operational areas and currently prevailing terrain conditions, as well as current information on accessibility and navigability are crucial to ensure the best possible safety of the emergency services and to use resources efficiently. ESA Copernicus satellite data and its derived products (e.g., the ESA Rapid Mapping Portfolio) can make a significant contribution to completing the common geographical picture with their global spatial coverage and high temporal resolution.
EONavi-2 aims to expand the methodological and technological foundations of EONavi. The focus of the project is to pursue a data-based approach to integrate parameters for additional vehicle types (cars, tanks, etc.) and to create the basics for cross country movement for each type. Also, additional data sources and parameters (soil moisture, weather) should be incorporated into the calculation of the CCM model. In addition, the proof-of-concept (PoC) developed in EONavi is to be further developed into a demonstrator for use in a simulated environment (TRL-6) in the DGMN, which should be able to generate navigability maps in almost real time, depending on the size of the operational area. This requires the integration of advanced AI algorithms and innovative approaches to data preprocessing and modeling. These have already been methodically prepared in EONavi, but still need to be improved for transfer to a demonstrator. Particular attention is being paid to improving the software for the experts at the “Institut für Militärisches Geowesen” (IMG) to maximize the benefits of the developed technology in practice. The system is planned to be tested as part of exercises with the IMG.
