DroneUp partners with Wonder Robotics to scale drone delivery

Leading drone delivery company and longtime Walmart aerial transportation partner DroneUp is partnering with Israeli startup Wonder Robotics in an effort to increase the autonomy and efficiency of its UAV operations.

DroneUp’s work with Wonder Robotics aims to augment the autonomy and fluidity of its drone delivery activities in ways that will permit the Virginia-based company to continue its US scaling and support its expansion internationally. Use of its partner’s proprietary WonderLand solution is also intended to reinforce the safety of DroneUp UAV flights.

A recent evaluation of Wonder Robotic tech aboard DroneUp delivery drones proved so promising the companies say they’ll pursue their integration work further. Use of  WonderLand on trial craft was described as having enabled precision autonomous landing, accurate winch delivery, and advanced contingency planning. 

Just as notable, DroneUp said, was the Wonder Robotic application also allowing a single flight engineer to safely and autonomously oversee multiple drone deliveries at the same time – a crucial factor in the company scaling its US and international UAV business. 

WonderLand enables vertical detect and avoid capabilities and robust precision landing. That allows several drones to operate simultaneous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions in urban environments by autonomously avoiding common obstacles like trees, buildings, and utility lines. Those self-navigating capacities of remote UAVs permit more efficient delivery of packages while increasing operational safety.

“Our technology is a BVLOS scale operation enabler for scalable drone services allowing the service provider or mission manager to safely operate multiple drones per site,” said Idan Shimon, CEO of Wonder Robotics. “Wonder Robotics’ goal is to provide a reliable technology that will make drone services safe and economical and to help with future regulatory rules for scalable, safe drone delivery.”

Based on the initially successful trials, DroneUp chief technology officer John Vernon says the company will press ahead with continued adaptation of Wonder Robotics tech into its delivery drone fleets.

“Commitment to safe operation is our top priority, and exploring cutting-edge technology like WonderLand is so important to stay on that course,” said Vernon. “Not only does implementing this into our tech stack improve individual deliveries, but it also gives us a clearer path towards scaling our operation as drone delivery becomes more and more popular every year.”