Automation and unmanned technologies are actively developing and are gradually entering our lives. Inteparus will talk about the features of marine drones.
The legislative framework
Today it’s hard to surprise anyone with drones. Unfortunately, many of our readers are familiar with drones and unmanned aerial vehicles in the context of military operations in Ukraine. We'll explore the use of drones as weapons some other time.
Fortunately, drones are used for more than just military purposes. Sea-Kit International develops unmanned surface vessels that are used in a wide range of missions. In 2021, Sea-Kit International became the first ever to receive Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) certification from Lloyd's Register, marking a turning point in the history of the maritime industry. Since then, the company has been gradually pushing the boundaries of USV design.

Ashley Skitt, Director, Sea-Kit International
Ashley Skitt, director of Sea-Kit International, says: “One of the biggest challenges was meeting all shipping requirements. We started developing maritime drones long before the relevant legislation was adopted, so we had to navigate blindly.” However, the difficulties of creating a USV for the company were not in vain. Today, Sea-Kit International is one of the leading drone companies.
USV safety issue
The main question that worries most Sea-Kit International clients and simply interested people is: “Are these drones safe?” Here's what Ashley Skitt says about it: “The short and clear answer is: yes, they are safe. Thanks to multiple levels of automation, on-board safety systems and constant human supervision, our USVs are safe.”
Skitt adds that laws today are much more precise and complete in describing the requirements for unmanned surface vehicle systems. A major challenge and unpleasant surprise in the early stages of drone development was the realization of how difficult it was to remotely control traditional ship systems.

An important aspect that Ashley emphasizes is that the drone does not make navigation decisions on its own. Man is still the main guarantee of security. Skitt says that adds its own challenges. The main one is the human factor.
To minimize problems, Sea-Kit International engineers have created a system that “gently and unobtrusively” signals the most problematic areas and indicators that are worth paying attention to. In this case, the drone operator must not only pay attention to this, but also continue to control the USV.
Loss of communication and emergency situations
Skitt says one important aspect of safety is working through scenarios where communication with the drone is lost. These scenarios are constantly being developed, improved and tested.

Particular attention is paid to the behavior of not only the operator, but also the drone during a loss of communication. For example, if communication is lost and the drone’s safety system detects dangerous proximity to some object (another vessel, pontoon, wall), the drone will automatically stop.
Through years of real-world training for USVs and operators, it all boiled down to a specific set of instructions for the drone's systems. In addition, Sea-Kit International drones have an additional set of equipment on board in case of problems with the main systems.
The future of the maritime industry
Many industry experts recognize that drones and automation are the future of the maritime industry. Drones will increasingly be used in maritime logistics, port surveillance, weather monitoring, science and even waterborne delivery. Gradually, drones will become an integral part of the lives of sailors.
The next step will be to increase process automation using these drones. Fewer people will be needed to guard marinas, register cargo, and tanker crews will become smaller and smaller.

However, it is not possible to completely remove humans from this “food chain”. The person will still be the main operator of the processes, who in case of problems will be responsible for problems and oversights.
In the meantime, we are witnessing amazing technological solutions. Sea-Kit should soon complete construction of the 18-meter Sea-Kit XL-Class USV drone, which will also undergo another Lloyd's Register certification and become a new milestone in shipbuilding.
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14.05.2024
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