F-drones successfully completes first night drone delivery to a ship

Singapore-headquartered start-up, F-drones successfully completed a first night drone delivery to a ship over a distance of about 3.5 miles, within five minutes. The package weighed almost seven pounds and contained a 3D-printed critical part.

F-drones successfully completes first night drone delivery to a ship

The first night drone delivery took place on November 1, when an F-drones delivered a 3D-printed critical part to the Berge Sarstein, owned by Berge Bulk. The package was flown over a distance of 3.5 miles within five minutes and contains the world's first 3D-printed CE-certified Lifting Tool from Wärtsilä, sent in partnership with Wilhelmsen Group.

In almost all cases worldwide, commercial drone deliveries are limited to daylight hours because of the additional operational challenges and safety risks involved with nighttime drone operations. F-drones' first night drone delivery marks a major step forward in making 24/7 and on-demand drone delivery a reality.

Delivering urgent items, such as critical spare parts or medication, within minutes by drone saves time and offers a safer delivery method compared to sending somebody out on a boat and boarding another vessel at night.

F-drones is currently testing its autonomous Hyperlaunch drone, which will be able to carry payloads weighing up to 11 pounds over a distance of 31 miles. To date, more than 100 autonomous flights with the Hyperlaunch have been completed since the start of this year.

The Hyperlaunch drone has a top speed of 90 miles an hour and should be commercially operational in mid-2021.

“Traditional means of transport are expensive, slow, labour and carbon intensive. F-drones' solutions aid the maritime industry to reduce 80% of the costs, time and CO2 emissions,” says F-drones co-founder Nicolas Ang, reports Marine Log. “Besides being efficient, delivery drones can also reduce unnecessary human contact amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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