Agreement for drones to deliver supplies to ships

Airbus has signed an agreement with maritime industry group Wilhelmsen for the experimental delivery of supplies to ships in the port of Singapore using drones instead of boats with the aim of cutting delivery time and costs.

The memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in the context of the Posidonia 2018 shipping exhibition this week in Athens provides for the development of an unmanned air system (UAS) for last-mile delivery of commodities such as medical supplies in one of the world’s busiest ports.

Drone deliveries can be up to 90 percent cheaper than those by launch boats.

Furthermore, the semi-autonomous drone types Wilhelmsen has reviewed for parcel delivery can reach speeds of between 36 and 108 kilometers per hour, according to Marius Johansen, the vice president for Business Solutions & Marketing at Wilhelmsen Ships Agency.