He has just marked a new step in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles when WaiV Robotics (a technology and robot company based in London) announced the world's first automated platform that allows unmanned aerial vehicles to take off and land on ships moving offshore.
The system is developed to solve one of the biggest challenges of the current maritime UAV industry, which is the ability to operate stably in rough seas conditions without direct human intervention.
According to WaiV Robotics, the new platform uses artificial intelligence combined with proprietary control algorithms to guide unmanned aerial vehicles to land accurately on the deck of ships constantly shaken by sea waves.
Unlike traditional solutions that only work well in calm water conditions or controlled environments, WaiV Robotics' system is designed to operate on even small ships about 10 meters long.
When the UAV or drone approaches the ship, the platform will use a gyroscope stabilization system to create a more balanced landing surface. Then, the drone will be brought down to the landing area with a protective buffer.
A noteworthy point lies in the special lock mechanism waiting for patents. This system helps to fix the flying device immediately upon landing, preventing the device from bouncing or slipping off the deck in high waves and strong winds.
According to the manufacturer, the platform currently supports drones with a maximum weight of about 15 kg, and is being expanded to be compatible with ultra-small UAVs under 3 kg and large systems over 300 kg.
Johnny Carni - founder of WaiV Robotics, believes that the biggest barrier to the offshore UAV industry does not lie in the drone itself but in the operating support infrastructure.
Mr. Johnny Carni said that without a reliable launch and recovery system, aircraft are very difficult to deploy on a large scale at sea. Therefore, the company's goal is to turn ships into mobile UAV launch and receiving centers.
Operating unmanned aerial vehicles at sea has long been considered a complex challenge because the deck always changes position according to waves, weather and strong winds. In addition, the saltwater environment also increases the risk of equipment damage and makes the landing process much more risky than on land.
Although there were previously some stable supporting technologies, most systems are only suitable in test conditions or low-volatile environments. According to WaiV Robotics, this is the first time a complete integrated platform has been designed to simultaneously solve many problems of maritime unmanned aerial vehicle operations.
The company expects this technology to expand into many fields such as sea transport, offshore surveillance, rescue, defense and maritime infrastructure inspection.
