Good Weekend wishes to you all from myself, André Sidler, and Avril Hanna – the Founders of Elysium Cruise Residence® and of the exclusive Elysium Wellness Lifestyle™.
Over the last few years, Avril and I have researched and approached many Remote Piloted Aircraft operators in Australasia to find an expert firm that can provide operational solutions and support for our Elysium ship based RPA-Drone operation to provide safety, security, and media coverage for our >550 residents and >600 crew. This is to support our core values and primary operational tenets for safety, security, the promotional social and conventional media coverage, and local community support programs such as surf lifesaving beach patrols, and Coastguard support. In the highly unlikely event of a MOB (Man-Over-Board) event, a necessary consideration for any boat or ship, Elysium has considered this eventuality with two different mission configured RPA’s/Drones. A small 2 kg RPA, and larger equipment deployable >25 kg RPA drone platform, which will provide the wide range of capabilities and identified tasks to support the Elysium ship daily operations.
The discrete, and unintrusive, small <2 kg RPA is used for social and conventional media coverage of morning sunrises and evening sunsets taken around the ship wherever we may be in Australasia, capturing the beautiful back drop scenery of the local harbour we are anchored at, promoting the tourism aspects of the lovely ‘preferred port’ we remain at anchor for long duration, immersive, interactive visits, from 3-27 days, as the weather allows. The video and still photography is beamed real time to our website for interested parties and relatives of our residents, to capture a sense of the luxurious surroundings and sanctuary enjoyed by their resident friends onboard – an enviable and aspirational residential location with unimpeded +5 Star sea views every day!
As part of our underlying desire to support local Australian, New Zealand, and South Pacific island nation businesses, Elysium Cruise Residence® has specifically commissioned HoverUAV https://www.hoveruav.com.au/, a Brisbane, Australia, based RPA/Drone consultant firm, to provide a comprehensive RPA/Drone Feasibility report document, and robust operational plan to cover Australian, New Zealand, and South Pacific Island nation drone operations from our ship – a world first in scope and capability for any ship, either civilian superyacht, commercial or military vessels.
The small drone we need is used in light weather conditions, day or night, for port security patrols, external ship inspections, and another set of eyes for the ship Captain whilst safely docking and tying up to the port berth when occasionally necessary. Our contracted RPA/Drone specialist, HoverUAV, has shortlisted the DJI Matrice 300 RTK or DJI Mavic Enterprise to fulfil the small RPA need.
Below is the mid-size mid-weight sized RPA’s/Drones under consideration.
The Vector/Scorpion medium sized RPA/Drone uniquely configures to provide a wide range of range, duration, speed, and scope https://www.quantum-systems.
Velos 3 https://www.velosuav.com/velosv3/ is another mid-weight RPA/Drone under evaluation, and likely to be used in tandem onboard with the Vector/Scorpion RPA to give a comprehensive range of safety and security capability for Elysium RPA operations
The larger sized RPA/Drone needed that is in the medium to large weight category (>25kg) is aimed at providing a safety equipment (lifejacket, buoy, life ring, liferaft) deployable capability, with LED flood lighting and (IR) Infra-Red to help identify persons for timely support and rescue. The larger RPA also has a greater tolerance to operating in the occasional windy conditions so that even whilst cruising at 12-22 knots, the RPA/Drone can handle the ships forward cruise speed for safe launching, and retrieval, back onto the ship. This capability will be unique and fulfils our visible support for local rescue services that are not available in the many small harbours in Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific island nations.
It is an exciting prospect, and designed to ensure that the ship based RPA/Drone capability is expertly operated by designated RPA pilots residing full-time onboard, part of providing the full-time safety and security net for all onboard.
The Elysium Cruise Residence® is Safety, Security, Serenity, and Sanctuary, and this is another one of the ways we ensure this.
Next update, Avril and I will chat more about our onboard ‘pet companion-therapy cafes’, ‘The Cat Chat Café’, and ‘The Dog House’, that are the residence for 10 rescue cats and 10 rescue dogs from New Zealand and Australian shelters, 4 of the canines being full-time resident trained ‘Covid Detector’ dogs!
Be safe, continue in good health, we can’t wait to greet you onboard your Elysium global residence address!