The port of Antwerp launches a 5G controlled autonomous drone network
- May 5, 2023
- 0
From now on, six autonomous drones will perform daily flights over the entire area of the port of Antwerp-Bruges. They also fly out of sight of the operator:
From now on, six autonomous drones will perform daily flights over the entire area of the port of Antwerp-Bruges. They also fly out of sight of the operator: a first in a complex industrial environment.
Starting today, six autonomous drones will fly over the Antwerp port area every day. The drones conduct their own flights and fly over the entire port, out of sight of the operators. The unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with cameras and must contribute to the security and operation of the port of Antwerp-Bruges through their unique perspective. Together they cover an area of more than 120 square kilometers. The drone network will be called D-Hive.
Centrally controlled
The port will use the drones to inspect facilities, detect oil and flotsam, support security services in the event of incidents and monitor berths. Flights are controlled and scheduled from a central command center in the port, where operators are always wirelessly connected to the drones. such Beyond line of sight (BVLOS) flights required a special permit.
The six drones take off from their own base station at six locations in the port. They keep coming back to this individual home. There will be 18 drone flights daily. Operators then observe through the cameras and can zoom in on specific events for a better view.
5G network
Technically, the requirements for this are quite high, after all, the drones must remain connected to a reliable radio connection that offers sufficient bandwidth for image transmission. The latency should not be too high either, so that remote control is possible. Anyone thinking of 5G is right. For the project, the port worked with Proximus, which provided the 5G network, and DroneMatrix and Skeydrone for the roll-out of the drones themselves. Proximus started rolling out its 5G network in the port of Antwerp back in 2020.
The port will also use the drones for further digitization. “This drone network plays a crucial role in the further rollout of the port’s digital twin, a digital replica that provides a real-time image of what’s happening in the port every second, based on thousands of data from a network of cameras, sensors and drones,” says Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
The port has been planning to set up a drone network since 2019. The final launch today is a first in a complex environment like the port.
Source: IT Daily
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