Autonomous electric shipping on waterways in metropolitan regions
The project aims to contribute to modern urban logistics through autonomous, electrically powered vessels that can be coupled together.
Project period: 1 September 2019 – 31 August 2022
An application has been submitted for a follow-up project.
Objectives:
- Developing a transport system that brings goods into the metropolitan area, where decentralised hubs enable road-based transport to cover the last mile of distribution
- Small floating units are well suited to supplying these hubs. Their electric propulsion produces no local emissions. In addition to shifting traffic to waterways, this can help address air quality problems and night-time noise from deliveries in urban areas.
- Focus: developing and testing autonomously operating vessels
- The feasibility of this system will be demonstrated through trial operations in a real-world laboratory around Berlin’s Westhafen (Spree / Charlottenburger Verbindungskanal / Westhafenkanal / Berlin-Spandauer Schifffahrtskanal).
Impressions from the test week at the SVA
