Testudo: Security and Resilience through Advanced Robotics

Critical infrastructure has to detect and answer threats without putting people in harm's way. Testudo, a European-financed project, develops autonomous robotic solutions for monitoring, detection and response in sensitive environments. NTT DATA contributes robotic intelligence and automation, backed by its expertise in AI, computer vision and robotics.
Program: European-financed
Part of a European initiative for critical infrastructure protection.
NTT DATA scope: 4 workstreams
Perception, robotic intelligence, benchmarking and field testing.
Platforms: Aerial and ground robots
Drones and legged robots running Python, ROS and Docker.
Validation: Controlled and real environments
Pilots test autonomous inspection and intervention.
Testudo: Autonomous security for sensitive sites, with people out of danger
Robotic intelligence and automation for security applications
Objectives
Strengthen security and resilience in critical infrastructure through advanced robotics, AI-driven surveillance and automation.
Opportunity
Autonomous robots monitor, detect and respond to threats while operations continue and personnel stay at a safe distance.
Sensitive sites, no room for error

Critical infrastructure must stay safe and running at all times. Building autonomous systems for these sites means joining perception, decision-making and robotics in one design, and proving each piece in real conditions.

Key Challenges
1: Integration. Robotics, AI-driven surveillance and automation have to work as one system.
2: Real-time threat detection. Robots must monitor, detect and respond to potential threats as they happen.
3: Operational continuity. Security work cannot interrupt the infrastructure under protection.
4: Technology choice. Robotic platforms and AI models need evaluation before deployment.
5: Field proof. Autonomous inspection and intervention strategies need validation outside the lab.
Solution
Robotic intelligence and automation for security applications

NTT DATA’s work in Testudo centers on robotic intelligence and automation, aimed at a scalable deployment of robotics for security.

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AI-driven perception and reasoning

The team develops computer vision, anomaly detection and situational awareness capabilities.

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Robotic intelligence

Decision-making and real-time data processing run on the robot itself, so sensitive images of the site stay local and under the operator’s control.

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Scouting and benchmarking

NTT DATA evaluates state-of-the-art robotic platforms and AI models from different suppliers on neutral terms and selects the best performers.

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Experimentation and field testing

Pilot projects in controlled and real environments validate autonomous inspection and intervention strategies.

Impact
Stronger protection, less human exposure

Testudo reinforces critical infrastructure security. Operators gain situational awareness through real-time detection and threat assessment, the solutions scale for long-term deployment, and robots take on the inspections which would otherwise put people at risk. People keep the final say on every response.

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