A team of four students – Daniel Maričić, Matej Brodarac, Matija Severović, and Dino Terman – is developing an autonomous drone that independently detects traffic violations, tracks vehicles, and returns to its base completely pilot-free. Daniel Maričić, a second-year student at the Faculty of Engineering in Rijeka, serves as the system’s lead designer.
Named NeoSis, the project harnesses AI and autonomous systems to enable more efficient traffic monitoring and faster emergency response times. The drone is designed to identify various traffic violations, including speeding, texting while driving, and seatbelt violations.
What sets this project apart is that it’s fully autonomous. Prompted by a real-time alert or a pre-defined action or task, the drone launches from its docking station, conducts surveillance, and automatically returns to its base for charging and storage. The system relies on integrated cameras, sensors, and AI algorithms to process data in real time.
While the young innovators mention that the project is still in the research & development phase, the results so far show great promise for road safety and emergency services. Alongside the hardware, the team is also developing software to analyze and process the captured data.
Though still a student initiative, project NeoSis has already caught the attention of both the public and tech experts, showing how youth-driven innovation can tackle real-world challenges. The team has entered the Student DIGI Award 2026, a national competition in Croatia that recognizes the most promising young digital innovators, with plans to eventually scale the system through partnerships with police departments and local and regional governments.
