3월 23일 e4ds news ‘장거리 드론 통신 및 제어와 배송 드론 실제 사례’ 웨비나에서 황의철 해양드론기술 대표는 자사의 드론 배송 플랫폼 ‘나라온’에 대해 설명했다.
▲Marine Drone Technology CEO Hwang Ui-cheol
Operation of LTE-based maritime long-distance drone delivery system
UK Skyports Partnership… Targeting UAM Port Operators
Experts have suggested that infrastructure construction is essential for commercializing drones in various industries, including drone delivery.
At the e4ds news webinar on March 23rd titled 'Long-distance drone communication and control and real-life cases of delivery drones', Hwang Ui-cheol, CEO of Marine Drone Technology, explained the company's drone delivery platform, 'Naraon'.
CEO Hwang Ui-cheol expressed his ambition, saying, “In order for the next-generation mobility UAM to be commercialized, infrastructure and services must be prepared preemptively, and marine drone technology will grow as a drone traffic management business operator, transportation business operator, and port operator.”
Marine drone technology first launched a maritime drone in Yeongdo, Busan, for the purpose of delivering supplies to sailors on ships during the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, about 800 packages have been delivered through the maritime drone delivery platform 'Naraon'.
Drones can load goods without landing, so as not to affect nearby structures and the environment in the ocean. Marine drone technology currently allows for a maximum load of 5 kg, delivery up to 10 km, and night delivery.
Currently, domestic drone communications are mainly based on the unlicensed 2.4Ghz and 5.8Ghz bands, and currently, for communication reasons, only about 1km can be flown at low altitudes. For long-distance non-line-of-sight flights, communication redundancy is essential. In addition, satellite communications have high potential for use because they can overcome spatial constraints.
“Therefore, since there is no frequency band that private businesses can use for commercial delivery drones, we are using LTE communication as an alternative,” said CEO Hwang. “The ultra-high-speed, ultra-low-latency characteristics of 5G communication are groundbreaking for drone communication, but it is currently inefficient in terms of cost for drones that require uplinks for real-time video transmission,” he said.
Although various specialized frequencies are licensed for the ocean, the frequency bands that can be practically used are limited due to current equipment restrictions, making it difficult to conduct research and development to improve long-distance data communication performance.
As regulations on communication frequency limits are relaxed, reception can be improved by adjusting frequency bandwidth or using signal amplifiers or high-performance antennas. “If various frequency band regulations, including this research, are relaxed, the communications sector of the drone industry will grow significantly,” said CEO Hwang.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and ICT is promoting a project to develop low-frequency (433MHz) band-based drone communication technology that can fly up to 20km beyond the line of sight, led by the Kwangwoon University consortium.
When asked about the impact of maritime environmental conditions on delivery drones, CEO Hwang said, “For commercial service, the drone should be 3m in size, not be greatly affected by waves, and can deliver at wind speeds of up to 10m/s. It was developed using carbon fiber that is safe even when it rains.”
He also said about the EMI/EMC reduction measures for long-distance drone communications, “Currently, the Korea Institute of Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering is conducting EMI/EMC tests as a measure to reduce radar frequencies generated from anchored ships. Although drones at sea have radio interference, it is a safe environment to use, so more research is needed for the safe use of drone commercial services in the future.”
▲Marine drone technology participating in the 2023 Drone Show Korea
Lastly, CEO Hwang mentioned the future business strategy for marine drone technology. Marine Drone Technology is promoting an island delivery business in Yeosu by establishing a joint corporation with UK-based Skyports, and is promoting the establishment of a marine mobility center at Korea Maritime and Ocean University.
Marine drone technology is conducting a drone delivery demonstration project in Yeosu City, which was selected as a drone demonstration city with a total investment of 14 billion won announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 17th. Based on this, the city has also revealed its intention to establish a service business through the construction of a UAM vertiport and to become a drone delivery agency.
This year, marine drone technology will also focus on the development of tuna school detection drone technology and maritime verification, which is being carried out as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's drone commercialization support project.
CEO Hwang said, “Skyports has the know-how to build and operate UAM vertiports as well as drone delivery services, and we are developing a port transportation business in Yeosu City with the goal of commercializing marine drone technology for the first time.” He also said, “After building a marine-specific service, we are also planning a land-based service.”