The Port of Antwerp\u2019s drone was developed in collaboration with DroneMatrix and will test out various use cases, such as infrastructure inspection, surveillance and monitoring, incident management, berth management and oil spill or drift waste detection. The port\u2019s ambition is to establish a network of autonomous drones that can provide a ‘live feed’ of various activities.<\/p>\n
Erwin Verstraelen, chief digital & innovation officer at the Port of Antwerp, said: “Drones are a lever in carrying out our core tasks as port authority, given the port’s huge surface area. Thanks to a network of drones, we can keep a closer eye on what’s happening in the port. Through our ‘Port of the Future’ innovation platform and cooperation with partners, such as DroneMatrix, we can accelerate technological innovation. Not just for drones, but also for promising evolutions in autonomous shipping, smart cameras and sensors. As such, we are working towards a safe, efficient and smart port: the port of the future.”<\/p>\n
Completely independent<\/strong><\/p>\n The drone departs from a fixed operating base near Kieldrecht Lock and follows a fixed route in the port. The drone can also fly on demand for emergency situations. It operates completely independently and charges itself through an intelligent docking station that is centrally managed from a web platform.<\/p>\n Several tests with other autonomous systems will follow in 2021, in preparation of an operational network of autonomous drones ready to be deployed in 2022.<\/p>\n Extensive tests have been carried out previously to investigate the feasibility of manned and unmanned drones at the port, as part of the SAFIR consortium project.<\/p>\n