DRIFT is an innovative initiative designed to transform the way lost shipping containers are detected, tracked, and recovered at sea. The project aims to develop an experimental, low-power tracking system capable of following a container from the moment it falls overboard to its potential sinking and retrieval.

At its core, DRIFT combines GNSS positioning, IoT connectivity, and ocean-environment sensing to deliver a resilient tracker that maintains accurate location data. To push the boundaries of performance, the project explores cutting-edge techniques such as antenna diversity for improved signal robustness, inertial sensing for motion-aware for event tracking, and sea-surface current modelling to predict drift patterns and enhance recovery operations.

DRIFT brings together engineering innovation and maritime safety, enabling faster, smarter, and more reliable container recovery in one of the world’s harshest environments.