LSBG and HHLA Sky plan urban use of drones

23 February 2023

Partnership on drones to cover infrastructure and facility management

The Agency of Roads, Bridges and Waterways Authority (LSBG) in Hamburg and HHLA Sky, a subsidiary of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), have sealed an innovation partnership on UAVs or drones, according to a press release Monday (February 20, 2023). HHLA Sky will now put its expertise towards planning, expanding and maintaining infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, dikes and roads. Drones will also be deployed to monitor and document building sites. The information collected will form the basis of planning and is vital to Hamburg's Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) strategy.

Supplying data on infrastructure and building sites

"Hamburg is pioneering the use of digital, innovative solutions in transport," said Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition. Integrating drones intelligently holds huge potential for cities like Hamburg. "They provide aerial views of roads, bridges and buildings cost-efficiently and in real time. Drones also capture areas that are difficult to access," he added. The images and digital data collected can help monitor construction works and improve the planning and co-ordination of building sites. That saves time, effort and costs and relieves traffic flows as well. The plans also foresee the development of software and hardware for approving and planning (partially) automated drone flights as well as providing data safely and efficiently.

LSBG employees training as drone pilots

TÜV Nord certified HHLA Sky's drone system as cyber secure in late 2022 allowing the company to market itself as a specialist in the industrial use of UAVs and robotics. Last year, HHLA Sky trained four LSBG employees as drone pilots. After acquiring EU drone pilots' licences, LSBG pilots now meet all the legal requirements to fly drones in Hamburg. More drone pilots are to be trained at LSBG as part of the partnership. The first flights focusing on managing infrastructure will be flown in the next months. Images taken by drones have already been evaluated for various infrastructure measures in Hamburg.

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