The port will use the drones, which cover an area of more than 120 square metres, for a range of functions, including berth management, surveillance, infrastructure inspections, oil spill and floating waste detection, and to support security partners during incidents. The 18 daily BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone flights will be remotely controlled from a command and control centre in the heart of the port.
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, explains: "This drone network will play a crucial role in the further development of the port's digital twin, a digital copy based on thousands of data points from a network of cameras, sensors and drones, providing a real-time picture of what is happening in the port every second."
According to the port authorities, this is also the world's first implementation of BVLOS flights on this scale in a complex industrial environment. In contrast to VLOS (Visual Line Of Sight) flights, these will take place beyond the pilot's line of sight.
