In A World First, UK Firm Reveals Gyro-Stabilised Platform Allowing Drones To Safely Land On Moving Ships

A British company has revealed an automatic landing and takeoff platform to support VTOL drone operations in challenging maritime environments.

The system developed by WaiV Robotics enables the launch and recovery of drones from moving vessels in open seas and even in rough weather, without changing the drone’s software or hardware.

This is possible by using a ‘catch-lock-release mechanism’, which functions with predictive AI.

The platform can presently support drones weighing up to 15 kilograms, with future versions planned for small aircraft of 3 kilograms and bigger UAVs weighing around 100 to 300 kilograms.

Traditional drone landings on moving ships are not gentle and can destabilise the drone during contact, causing it to lose control or shift from place.

Hence, WaiV came up with a locking mechanism which secures the drone immediately after it lands on the vessel to prevent any movement due to rolling waves or vessel motion.

The system releases the lock only when the drone needs to be launched again.

The platform is gyro-stabilised, which maintains a level surface during recovery and launch and does away with the need to modify the drone itself, which protects the drone’s battery efficiency, payload capability and offers cybersecurity protection.

The system is not integrated into the onboard systems; instead, it works through the drone’s remote-control interface.

Additionally, the vessel’s sensors, radars and tracking systems constantly monitor the drone’s position relative to the landing platform.

The software then guides it in the same manner as a pilot operating it would. Human operators can also transfer control to the automated AI system during landing or takeoff while retaining the ability to interrupt if required.

The company has raised $7.5 million to launch its automated maritime VTOL drone landing platform.

The platform has been well-received by the market since it can support several VTOL drone configurations, including helicopters, multicopters and fixed-wing UAVs from different manufacturers.

The high-tech AI guidance software helps the drones to constantly adapt to the changing sea conditions and the ship’s position during launch and recovery, making it extremely accurate.

To develop this technology, the company conducted extensive simulation-based tests using different types of vessels in different sea conditions and environments.

Real-world maritime testing was also performed to boost efficiency and performance.

The company has claimed that the platform can support a range of maritime applications across different sectors, including commercial, government, and defence.

It could be used in offshore infrastructure inspections, operations near oil rigs and wind farms, scientific research, port authority inspections, and even ship-to-ship deliveries of parcels.

Johnny Carni, Founder and CEO of WaiV Robotics, said, “Without a dependable way to launch and recover at sea, large-scale deployment simply doesn’t work. Our goal is to remove that constraint and make drone operations viable from virtually any vessel.”

WaiV is exploring collaboration with drone manufacturers as demand for AI-integrated drone packages is on the rise, signalling a change in both naval and commercial ship operations.