The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is supporting Wilhelmsen Ship Service and Airbus in their pilot trial of drone delivery from shore to vessels anchored off the coast, in the second half of 2018.
They are collaborating on an experimental project to deliver spare parts, documents, water test kits and 3D printed consumables. For this project, they are using Airbus’ Skyways unmanned aerial system (UAS).
This trial is a culmination of over a year of planning and collaboration between the two companies.
Andrew Tan, CEO of MPA, said the MPA would provide a suitable test-bed in the Port of Singapore for both companies to test their systems at sea.
Additionally, it would also enable MPA to develop the regulatory framework for drone deliveries.
“The use of such innovative technology could help improve productivity and free up manpower and resources that could be deployed for other value-added jobs.”
The MPA set up the Living Lab last year. Certainly, the lab aims to provide a technology partnership platform with sufficient scale and real operating conditions.
Therefore, this is for technology providers and industry partners to plug into for the development and pilot of innovative solutions.
Importantly, the use of robotics and autonomous systems, including drones, is one of the key focus areas.
Other areas of focus include data analytics and intelligent systems, smart and innovative structures, and safety and security.
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