R.I. companies launch undersea security project

Four Aquidneck Island research and development companies have begun working on a project aimed at protecting infrastructure along the state’s coast.

The Undersea Perimeter Security Interoperable Defense Environment (UPSIDE) project is designed to address waterborne threats to shoreline infrastructure both in the public and private sector. Pulling together individual technologies and ongoing research and development, UPSIDE focuses on protecting U.S. naval and private defense contractor facilities within the state, according to an abstract of the project provided earlier this month.

Facilitated by the R.I. Economic Development Corporation, the companies involved in UPSIDE are Purvis Systems Inc., Rite-Solutions, LiveWave and Sonic Works.

Technologies created by the companies can be used by themselves for “specific asset protection,” the abstract said, or can function together for a larger, fully integrated port security system.

According to John Riendeau, EDC’s defense industry manager, the project uses sonar sensors and remote-operated vehicles to monitor the undersea world.

If a potential threat is identified, a camera transmits the information back to a command system, which then redistributes it to appropriate authorities if they are necessary.

The entire system is IP protected, Riendeau said.

The pilot program, which was granted $1.2 million from the federal government for its development last month, will be conducted at Electric Boat’s facility in North Kingstown. Riendeau said the location will be a sensible test bed for UPSIDE because of its size and the nature of Electric Boat’s work.

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport will act as a “third-party validator,” Riendeau said, by monitoring and evaluating UPSIDE as it moves forward.

Future phases of the project are slated to add new undersea functions based on system requirements, advancement of technologies and ease of integration, the abstract said.

Aside from the security issues UPSIDE addresses, the project also fits into the EDC’s Innovation @ Scale program – which is governed by the philosophy that Rhode Island’s manageable size makes it an ideal spot to test projects.

If successful, Riendeau said he sees a lot of use for the project outside of the state, such as to protect critical energy infrastructure along the Gulf Coast.

“The opportunity is there to market this beyond Rhode Island’s borders,” Riendeau said. “The goal is to make it affordable so private-sector firms can buy this and implement it.”

Several of the companies involved in UPSIDE had previously collaborated on a Port of Providence demonstration that was not implemented, Riendeau said. In that project, liquid-gas companies KeySpan and ProvPort would have allowed their tanks to be equipped with video cameras.

UPSIDE is similar to the project as the one proposed for the Port of Providence, Riendeau said, describing it as “tweaked and brought down to North Kingstown.”

“We’re confident we’re going to be successful with this project,” he said.