After the termination of a previous manufacturing agreement, Chicago-based Valqari has now chosen Canadian drone maker Draganfly as the exclusive manufacturer of its patented drone delivery stations. As per the terms of this agreement, Valqari will order at least $400,000 worth of manufacturing services from Draganfly.
DroneDJ readers may recall Valqari is working to solve the “last-inch” logistical problems associated with drone delivery. As the last inch of the last mile, this pertains to questions like: How do you guarantee that the parcel is being delivered to the right person? What can you do to make sure that the package is not getting damaged while being dropped? How do you avoid parcel theft from the front porch?
To solve these issues, Valqari has developed automated multi-package drone delivery boxes. These universal drone receptacles give flying robots a safe and convenient landing space when dropping and picking up packages. They can accommodate parcels up to 12”x12”x9”, accepting winched packages, hover-dropped packages, as well as pickups and deliveries from landed drones and traditional methods alike.
And now, Draganfly gets to be the exclusive manufacturer and assembler of this seven-and-a-half-foot-high “Valqari Delivery Station.”
As Ryan Walsh, CEO and cofounder of Valqari, explains:
Our goal is to revolutionize how people and businesses around the world send and receive packages. The Drone Delivery Station is weatherproof, theft-proof, and temperature-controlled, which is critical for how items like food and pharmaceuticals are properly delivered. We are dedicated to providing high-quality products and we know the talented team at Draganfly will help us keep that promise.
With hundreds of units in pre-order, keeping that promise has become increasingly important for Valqari. The company is likely to have endured substantial delays because of the termination of a previous manufacturing agreement.
In October 2020, Valqari announced that as part of a two-year exclusive contract, AgEagle Aerial Systems would manufacture and assemble the company’s drone delivery stations at its new facility in Kansas. In related news, AgEagle announced making an early-stage equity investment in Valqari.
Today, in addition to building massive drone delivery boxes for commercial establishments, Valqari is mulling another version for more widespread use. Focusing on single-family homes in suburban environments, Valqari’s second iteration of climate-controlled, residential boxes will come at prices competitive with other smart home appliances. “Less than $1,500” is the figure Walsh says users should expect.
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