STERNA (Satelite Terrain Navigation)

  Challenge 1 - Enabling cross-terrain mobility

Sterna is a technology company that uses Copernicus, Galileo, and EGNOS data to classify terrain availability on land borders where immigrants can cross. The solution provides simple and easy-to-use software to border control agencies and other relevant organizations, allowing them to prevent illegal border crossings more effectively. The solution has significant potential in the European Union, where illegal immigration is a major challenge for many member states.

   Problem 

Illegal immigration is a significant problem for many countries in the European Union. Illegal border crossings can be a threat to national security, public health, and public safety. Meanwhile, monitoring borders can be a challenging task, particularly when it comes to identifying critical points where illegal border crossings are most likely to occur. Today, many different technologies are used to monitor borders, such as video surveillance, motion-detecting cameras, drones, and helicopters. However, those are not always efficient enough, as illegal immigrants can often find ways to bypass these measures. Sterna’s main goal is to improve and optimize the usage of the aforementioned technologies.

  Solution 

Sterna will use data from Copernicus, Galileo, and EGNOS, Earth observation programs developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), to identify available terrain on borders where immigrants can cross. We will leverage the data to create a heatmap of the border area, identifying areas where illegal border crossings are likely to occur, based on terrain availability. This information will be used to inform border control agencies and other relevant organizations in the European Union, allowing them to allocate resources more effectively and prevent illegal border crossings. The software will also suggest alternative paths immigrants can take using the heatmap. Data, such as elevation, type of land, and similar, will be used to classify terrain availability and consequently create a heatmap that will correspond with terrain availability

  Target Market 

The primary target market for Sterna will be government agencies responsible for border control and immigration management in the European Union. These agencies may include: 

• Frontex, the European Border, and Coast Guard Agency 

• Member state border control agencies 

• European Union agencies responsible for migration and asylum, such as the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) or the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (FRONTEX) 

• Sterna may also target private security firms and other organizations that work in the border control and immigration management industries in the European Union.

Marketing Strategy

Sterna will use a targeted marketing strategy, focusing on government agencies responsible for border control and immigration management in the European Union. The company will attend industry conferences, participate in trade shows, and engage in targeted digital marketing campaigns to reach potential customers.

  Team

Luka Meštrović

Since 2019, I have been studying physics at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. Recently, I developed an interest in the growing field of Machine Learning. I have very good analytical and problem-solving skills as well as Python programming skills. I like working in a team and have strong interpersonal and technical skills for working on projects. I am highly motivated and inspired, and I approach every problem with attention to detail.

Anton Rosanda 

I am a 4th-year Mathematics and Computer Science student at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. From an early age, I always loved coming up with solutions for various problems by combining knowledge about different fields of study.

Luka Muhvić

I finished high school as a pharmacy technician. I am now studying chemical engineering at the University of Chemical Engineering and Technology in Zagreb. I have an interest in space technology and economics

Marin Meštrović 

I am currently a third-year student of mathematics at the Faculty of Science - Department of Mathematics in Zagreb. In recent months, I have been actively educating myself in the field of Data Science, and I would like to gain more practical knowledge and experience.

Luka Toprek

I am in my freshman year of college, studying software engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Technologies in Osijek, Croatia. I have been actively programming for the past 5 years and in that time frame got accustomed to constant learning, problem-solving, and logical thinking. I specialize in the C language family (C, C++, and C#) as well as Java. I am interested in the defense and space industry and would like to build my career in the aforementioned fields.

Maria Mesarić

I finished Economics and Management in Zagreb but since last year, I am transferring to IT. Next week I am finishing a 5-month incubator program for developers and I hope to continue my career in IT. I also love participating in competitions because of the amazing ideas and teamwork.

Link to the code - https://github.com/marmest/Cassini-STERNA