Semtech’s LoRa devices will act as the foundation for Wilhelmsen’s new maritime IoT network to support its global customer base. TTI will develop the company’s IoT platform.
The LoRa-based wireless sensors will monitor the condition of machinery, fuel efficiency, environmental metrics, and cargo. The companies have said this data will be used to inform preventive maintenance, decreasing the risk of vessel idle time due to repair or incidents.
Jon Helge Ulstein, senior project manager at Wilhelmsen, commented, “We have evaluated wireless solutions for decades to deliver efficiencies at land and sea. The technology solution of choice needed key capabilities to revolutionise our strategy – long range, low power and a strong, open ecosystem.
“This new system is expected to benefit our customers immediately and is a step towards autonomous vessels and industry 4.0. Spearheaded by Wilhelmsen’s ship management division, this new IoT platform will be [used] to deliver, among other things, digital condition monitoring, asset tracking and logistical applications. This goes hand in hand with the group’s onboard app store project, ShipOS, headed by RaaLabs.”
Wienke Giezeman, CEO of The Things Industries, added, “We are excited to be a partner in this important project and we are looking forward to working with the broader LoRaWAN ecosystem to make this a success for Wilhelmsen and the maritime industry.”
Wilhelmsen serves 20,000 vessels out of 2,200 ports in 70 countries. It handles over 220,000 product deliveries each year.