Six extra pairs of eyes at Antwerp
Six autonomous drones will perform daily flights in the Antwerp port area, in a world first that will help bolster overall security at the port.
Launched on 5 May, the ‘D-Hive drone-in-a-box’ network is the result of a partnership between the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, DroneMatrix, SkeyDrone and Proximus, which was first given the go-ahead for the ‘beyond visual line of sight’ flights two months ago.
The drones will help coordinate safe operations at the port, providing an extra pair of eyes over the 120km² area.
“Given the huge surface area of the port, drones provide us with leverage when it comes to carrying out our core tasks as a port authority,” commented Jacques Vandermeiren, chief executive of Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
“This drone network will play a crucial role in the further roll-out of the port’s digital twin, a digital copy based on thousands of pieces of data from a network of cameras, sensors and drone, giving a real-time picture of what is happening at the port every second,” he added.
The port will use the drones for a range of functions including berth management, monitoring, infrastructure inspections, oil spill and floating waste detection, and to support security partners during incidents.
The 18 daily drone flights will be remotely controlled from a command and control centre in the heart of the port.
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