Shore-to-ship drone deliveries being tested with oil, water, mail and linen
Skyports Drone Services (Skyports) has been conducting a series of proof-of-concept ship-to-shore beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights, and deliveries, in Michigan’s Great Lakes region.
The trial, operating from DeTour, Michigan has run through May, ferrying cargo to Interlake Steamship vessels. Light cargo such as oil samples, potable water samples, flat and small mail and linens/laundry are being delivered during the trial.
“We first started delivering cargo to ships in Singapore in 2021,” says Alex Brown, director of drone services, Skyports. “Since then, we’ve developed our understanding of maritime operations, and we know which use cases add value for our customers.”
During the initial trial, Skyports is operating a Speedbird DLV-2 (it has a range of drone services on its website). That has a payload of up to 8.8lbs, and is said to be capable of operating in gusting windspeeds of up to 28mph. It’s using winch technology. It descends to approximately 50 feet above the deck of the vessel, where the crew are waiting. The remote pilot deploys the winch, which automatically stops when it detects the payload on the deck. Once cargo has been delivered/collected, the crew vacate the area to a safe zone, the remote pilot retracts the winch and flies the drone back to base.
“This is our first US maritime delivery operation,” continues Brown, “and we’ll be looking to replicate the success from Singapore and Michigan to other ports around the country. Michigan has created a great innovation environment for advanced air mobility, and we’ll be kicking off several more flight campaigns in the state over the next few months.”
The idea is to validate the benefits of using drones to supplement regular ship deliveries from supply boats and generate valuable insights to help inform the regulatory requirements and policy frameworks necessary to scale shore-to-ship drone operations.
The final objective is to provide a report that summarises the results of the trial and applicability to other use cases, targeting permanent commercial operations in the near future.
“This project proves that Michigan’s greatest natural asset — the Great Lakes — can also be its next mobility testbed,” says Connor McCarthy, AAM lead at Newlab Detroit. “We’re demonstrating in real time how unmanned aircraft can move critical supplies to working vessels faster, safer, and with a lighter carbon footprint. The insights we collect here will help shape policy and infrastructure for scaled drone logistics across the region, solidifying Michigan’s reputation as the premier place to build, test, commercialise, and scale next‑generation drone technologies.”
Brendan O’Connor, COO of Interlake Maritime Services, which operates The Interlake Steamship Company fleet says that he sees potential in where advanced drone capabilities could be of value to the maritime industry and his customers. “Interlake has a strong legacy of innovation and embracing new technologies,” he says.
The project is being conducted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Office of Future Mobility & Electrification, and Interlake Steamship (a bulk cargo vessel operator with operations across the Great Lakes region).
