Docking

Challenge

Ship docking is typically assisted by the captain's assistant, a local port pilot, or tugboats, often taking 1-2 hours for larger ships. In some cases, changes in the port environment, such as other ships landing, can drastically alter the docking situation. Ground assessment lacks sufficient overview, especially in busy ports, leading to collision risks and challenges in detecting man overboard situations.

Any contact between the ship and other objects can result in hull damage, affecting both the ship itself and third-party property in the area. This liability poses a significant risk for ship owners, reflected in expensive insurance premiums. Ship collisions from human errors resulted in insurance costs of €1.3 billion in 2018, excluding small hull repairs. When considering the total time ships take to dock, the problem's annual value reaches €5.07 billion.

Solution

The Upteko multipurpose drone system introduces a solution similar to a modern car's parking camera. With the push of a button, the captain can choose the view of the camera for the ship docking procedure. This view can be shared with both the port and the tugboats involved in the docking process.

In the aerial view, the captain gains a full distance measurement, minimizing human error. Anyone with whom the captain chooses to share the drone's view will have the same overview and be synchronized in the docking operation.