[Courtesy of 42air]
The range of multi-copter drones is limited due to their relatively short battery life. Hydrogen fuel cell drones could become a game-changer in the global market for unmanned flying systems. Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI), a drone solution provider in South Korea, has tried to enhance the use of hydrogen drones in various areas such as patrols, security, emergency rescue support, and logistics transfer across land and sea.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, DMI and 42air will develop a service model including the specification and integration of fuel cell power systems, automation software, logistics software, and other technologies and processes to enable the new airline delivery ecosystem.
"Hydrogen fuel cell technology has shown its strength in endurance by flying our drone for two hours. By working with 42air, we will now show that this technology is happening now, not for the future, and that it is a very promising technology for drone delivery," DMI CEO Lee Doo-soon said in a joint statement.
42air provides delivery services to ships at anchorages and buoy systems in the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans. Future delivery operations are planned for ships in anchorages around the port of Angels, as well as deliveries to oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
"By partnering with DMI, we can provide safe and environmentally friendly deliveries, improving the lives of crews aboard ships that may be stuck in remote anchorages for a long time," 42air CEO Henk Goosen was quoted as saying.