Intelligent and Sustainable IoT networks for Accurate and Real-Time Large-Scale Landslide Monitoring and Prediction

Landslides are the most widespread geological disaster, causing approximately 4.7 billion Euros annually in Europe and on average more than 4,000 deaths per year worldwide. Climate change and growing populations exacerbate land instability and jeopardise infrastructure in many areas that have traditionally been regarded as stable and safe. The INSTANT project brings together an international, multidisciplinary, and cross-sector consortium consisting of six world-leading academic institutions and three specialised industrial partners from six countries to develop an ambitious yet feasible intelligent and sustainable IoT network system for real-time monitoring and accurate prediction of large-scale landslides. Specifically, INSTANT aims to realise four innovations: 1) a Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface structure optimised for simultaneous wireless power and information transfer; 2) an intelligent and ultra-low latency networking architecture to enable real-time communication of mission-critical sensing data; 3) knowledge-guided explainable AI/ML approaches for trustworthy landslide prediction; and 4) an intelligent and integrated system for real-time landslide monitoring and prediction. INSTANT will create a cross-disciplinary and cross-sector knowledge-sharing platform with competent and complementary expertise in computer science, environmental sciences, and communication engineering. The researchers in INSTANT will be trained to uplift their skills and career perspectives, through advanced research and innovation actions, and purposely designed training and networking activities. INSTANT will enhance Europe's competitiveness and leadership in digital technologies, environmental monitoring, and climate adaptation, and address the key challenges defined by European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), including EIT Climate and EIT Digital, and relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG9, SDG11, and SDG13.