Testing will be launched at the Port of Singapore in Q3.
Wilhelmsen Ships Service and Airbus will pilot the delivery of spare parts, documents, water test kits and 3D-printed consumables via Airbus’ Skyways unmanned air system (UAS) to vessels at anchorage at the Port of Singapore in Q3.
According to a statement from Wilhelmsen, this will be “the very first time the viability of autonomous drone delivery to vessels has been put to the test in hectic, real-world port conditions.”
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Posidonia maritime trade show in Greece this week to collaborate on the potential deployment and commercialization of UAS for shore-to-ship deliveries.
“Delivery by drone is much more cost effective, quicker and, frankly, safer for all involved. Costing on average 90 percent less than launch boats, they importantly remove the risks inherently involved with making launch deliveries and also have negligible environmental impact,” Marius Johansen, a Wilhelmsen Ships Service vice president, said.
Wilhelmsen and Airbus worked with the Singapore Maritime Port Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore on the two-week pilot, which will encompass deliveries to ships anchored in Singapore’s eastern anchorage. Command and delivery centers will be set up at the pier to facilitate the deliveries, with an initial delivery range of up to 3 kilometers from the shoreline. A second delivery station will be positioned at an open space in Marina South to extend delivery coverage to more anchorage vessels.
Wilhelmsen, Airbus piloting shore-to-ship drones
