Drone Delivery

A research unit of Virginia Tech specialized in UAV traffic management (UTM) is leading a second phase of trials under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aegis aiming to advance work establishing effective, safe, and reliable systems for orchestrating flights of numerous drones sharing the same airspace.

Law enforcement officials in Texas have arrested 42 people in an alleged criminal ring that used a drone to smuggle drugs into state prisons, including an inmate who now risks a life sentence for his role in the plot.

Rebounding off its participation in the August 3 White House summit on advanced air mobility (AAM), sector lobbying organization Commercial Drone Alliance has gone on the offensive with praise of the Biden administration’s initiative in support of next-generation aerial activities, but with criticism of regulatory constrictions it says stifles increased UAV services in the US.

Dronedek has found a new partner to make its drone delivery mailbox offering more secure. The Indiana-based company says it is teaming up with facial recognition provider Scylla so that its smart delivery mailbox can be unlocked as easily as a cellphone.

As it prepares to bring free Prime Air drone deliveries to customers in California and Texas, Amazon is offering an inside look at how its drone delivery system works. A new video released by the company shows rigorous flight tests being conducted at one of its facilities in Oregon.

Commercial drone solutions specialist A2Z Drone Delivery has announced its second-generation automated delivery winch, RDS2 (Rapid Delivery System 2). The company says its latest product offers the highest payload capacity (22 pounds) of any tethered delivery system on the market, and also eliminates the need for specialty payload boxes.

Cargo drone manufacturer Windracers, which counts the British Royal Mail among its partners, has won its third round of funding from the Future Flight challenge at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The fresh capital will help Windracers to further middle-mile drone delivery trials and regulatory work with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Canadian aviation authorities have issued a Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) certificate to drone logistics firm Drone Delivery Canada. The Toronto-based company says it is the only drone service provider in Canada approved to deliver dangerous goods using drones.

Come Monday, August 8, and a drone delivery mailbox located in a suburb of Indianapolis will create history by accepting traditional posts from US Mail. That delivery will be followed by McDonald’s delivering Big Mac and french fries to the same mailbox through a drone.

European drone delivery company Dronamics has joined a consortium in Scotland preparing what it says will be the UK’s first nation-wide UAV transport network of medical supplies and lab samples.

Instant logistics and drone delivery specialist Zipline has entered a partnership with US space agency NASA to examine the future operation of UAVs and advanced air mobility (AAM) craft and services, particularly those using multiple autonomous vehicles at once.

Boots has become the first community pharmacy in the UK to transport prescription-only medicines using drones. The company is working with medical drone delivery startup Apian to facilitate a trial from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight.

Drone delivery company Flytrex announced it has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to double the size of areas it has been operating flights in North Carolina and Texas to two nautical miles, vastly increasing the potential number of households it can serve.

Last week, a survey tried to explain why some Lockeford residents have been feeling less than enthused about the arrival of Amazon drone deliveries in their city. But a fresh report that has come out today claims that a solid majority of Americans (58%) are in favor of drone delivery.

A consortium of national health care and UAV organizations in Scotland has secured funding for the launch of what it says will be the UK’s first country-wide drone medical delivery and distribution system. 

As part of an experimental delivery project by the Israeli Innovation Authority and the Ministry of Transport, a drone was used to transport medical tests including blood, urine, and coagulation samples.

Convenience store chain 7-Eleven is trialing 3-minute drone delivery services in Gapyeong, a quaint resort town in South Korea that has gained popularity because of its easy accessibility from Seoul. During the pilot program, which will run until the end of this year, there is no minimum order amount requirement, and delivery through drones is also being offered free of charge.

A survey of American adults has found that more than half of the population has little or no trust in drone delivery of products. A majority is also worried about data privacy issues related to drone deliveries, including those performed by Chinese aircraft.

European middle-mile drone delivery specialist Dronamics has chosen Australian aviation engineering and manufacturing company Quickstep as its first major partner in producing its automated Black Swan UAVs.

Alphabet subsidiary Wing is pulling the curtain back on how it plans to cater to different industries that may come knocking on its door looking for on-demand drone delivery.

Medical drone delivery pioneer Zipline is joining forces with MultiCare Health System, a not-for-profit healthcare organization in Washington, to launch the state’s first commercial drone deliveries.