Our solution, Horus, is a fully autonomous tethered balloon system designed for real-time monitoring and crisis management on sensitive industrial and natural sites. It addresses critical capability gaps in continuous aerial surveillance, early detection of wildfires, and rapid identification of gas leaks or security breaches — all without the limitations of traditional drones or satellites.
Horus operates 24/7 with no pilot, no runway, and minimal energy consumption, making it ideal for extended deployments over strategic locations. Equipped with high-resolution visual and infrared cameras, and soon with methane detection sensors, Horus is able to detect anomalies before they escalate into full-scale disasters. It enables emergency responders to intervene earlier and with more precision, dramatically improving the resilience of infrastructures and surrounding communities.
The TRL of our system is currently TRL 8, with ongoing pre-deployment tests conducted with major industrial partners such as GRTgaz (Europe’s leading gas infrastructure operator) and Orano (global leader in uranium processing).
In terms of innovation, our approach is highly differentiated:
There is no comparable autonomous, re-deployable aerial surveillance system on the market that combines long endurance, low operational cost, and real-time AI-based detection.
While tethered balloons exist, our system incorporates unique features: AI anomaly detection, autonomous winch control, rugged design, and modular sensor integration.
The system has been known and used in the world for less than 1 year, positioning it as a cutting-edge response to growing climate and security threats.
In an era of rising climate risks and increasing pressure on emergency services, Horus brings a transformative capability to enhance situational awareness, reduce response times, and build true operational resilience.
Contact
Our ambition is to build LIUM into a leading European and global company in autonomous aerial surveillance for crisis management and environmental protection.
Our primary objective is to deploy a scalable solution that enables early detection of wildfires, methane leaks, and intrusions on sensitive and strategic sites, both industrial and natural. By offering real-time data and continuous monitoring from above, we empower responders to act faster, more accurately, and with greater impact.
We aim to achieve a measurable outcome: a 30% reduction in the number and intensity of wildfires in areas equipped with our technology. By detecting ignition points earlier, we can significantly shorten the time between the outbreak and the first response, thus reducing burned areas, human risk, and ecological damage.
Our solution also contributes to reducing the European Union’s carbon footprint. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, and our system is designed to help industrial players detect and fix leaks before they escalate, supporting the EU’s climate goals and regulatory compliance (e.g. the Methane Strategy).
In the long term, our ambition is to position LIUM as a key enabler of climate resilience, technological sovereignty, and infrastructure security in Europe and beyond. We believe autonomous aerial systems will play a central role in adapting to environmental threats, and we are building the foundation for this future — one balloon at a time.
LIUM’s innovation lies in transforming a traditionally passive object — the tethered balloon — into a fully autonomous, intelligent, and mission-ready surveillance platform. While balloons, drones, and cameras are commonly used in isolation, no existing solution combines continuous aerial presence, autonomous operation, and real-time risk detection in a single system.
Our balloon, named HORUS, is equipped with:
An autonomous winch system allowing automated deployment and retraction,
Modular sensor integration, including visible, infrared, and methane detection capabilities,
A lightweight, weather-resistant envelope designed for long-duration outdoor use,
And the ability to process and transmit alerts in real time, supporting immediate response.
Our approach fills a critical gap between satellites (too high), drones (too short-lived), and fixed cameras (too limited). HORUS stays in the air 24/7, is low-energy, requires no pilot, and can be repositioned rapidly.
The system is not only hardware innovation — it's also an operational innovation:
It gives emergency services and industrial operators an aerial advantage at all times.
It allows prevention instead of reaction, by spotting risks before they escalate.
It can operate in off-grid and low-infrastructure environments, ideal for crisis-prone or remote zones.
This convergence of resilience, autonomy, and usability makes HORUS a truly next-generation surveillance tool, designed not just to observe, but to protect. We are not just incrementally improving an existing product — we are creating a new category of technology at the crossroads of security, environment, and infrastructure resilie
Our solution addresses a critical operational challenge: the lack of continuous, autonomous, and responsive surveillance for sensitive industrial and natural sites exposed to environmental and safety risks.
Current tools used by operators (fixed cameras, drones, manual patrols, or satellite imagery) all suffer from major limitations:
Drones require pilots and have limited autonomy.
Fixed cameras provide narrow coverage and are vulnerable to blind spots or tampering.
Satellites offer broad overviews but lack precision and real-time reactivity.
Manual surveillance is costly, slow, and not scalable in times of crisis.
Our solution, HORUS, fills this gap by offering:
24/7 autonomous aerial surveillance of a fixed area,
Real-time detection of anomalies like gas leaks, wildfires, or perimeter breaches,
Low-energy, silent operation, suitable for continuous use,
And rapid redeployability, allowing it to be moved from one mission to another in less than an hour.
HORUS is particularly effective in:
Preventing wildfire spread by detecting early heat signatures in vulnerable forest or rural areas.
Supporting emergency response by giving teams live situational awareness from above.
Monitoring industrial risk (e.g. methane emissions) for safety, compliance, and environmental protection.
Securing critical infrastructure such as chemical plants, energy facilities, ports, and military bases.
The system provides high operational reliability, can be installed in under 30 minutes, and does not depend on permanent infrastructure. It has been tested with European industrial leaders such as GRTgaz and Orano, and is designed to meet the operational needs of both civil protection agencies and private operators.
By drastically improving response time, risk visibility, and coverage efficiency, LIUM offers a decisive operational advantage in crisis prevention and management.
The LIUM team combines expertise in mechatronics, embedded systems, and product design, with strong experience in crisis response and field operations. We are supported by strategic partners in energy, defense, and AI. Our team has a deep understanding of the technical, regulatory, and operational challenges of deploying autonomous systems in sensitive environments. Agile, mission-driven, and execution-focused.
The LIUM team combines expertise in mechatronics, embedded systems, and product design, with strong experience in crisis response and field operations. We are supported by strategic partners in energy, defense, and AI. Our team has a deep understanding of the technical, regulatory, and operational challenges of deploying autonomous systems in sensitive environments. Agile, mission-driven, and execution-focused.