Drone Delivery

In another indication that medical transport services may well be the largest initial activity for emerging drone delivery operators, UK company Skyports says it has successfully wrapped up a month-long trial of aerial shuttles with the nation’s EMED Group.

Aerial transport services company Drone Delivery Canada says it has successfully completed test flights of its Canary UAV in commercial operation conditions, verifying the craft’s enhancements over the firm’s earlier Sparrow vehicle.

Leading global instant logistics company Zipline is expanding its US business activity with the addition of OhioHealth to the list of clients selecting the startup’s integrated Platform 2 drone transportation network to speed deliveries to destinations at lower costs.

The UK’s Royal Mail and Skyports Drone Services have launched what is being hailed as the nation’s first permanent UAV delivery operation conducted “under existing regulatory frameworks,” with the initiation of postal distribution flights between Scotland’s Orkney Islands. 

Amazon’s own drones may not be delivering much – or often ­­– but smart mailboxes that can accept drone deliveries are now a part of the Amazon Sidewalk community network.

Canadian drone, equipment, and operating systems company Draganfly has unveiled its new UAV payload lowering device – a unit it’s calling “revolutionary” while marketed under the more pragmatic name, Precision Delivery System.

Vertiport operations and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions provider Kookiejar says it is joining forces with design company STILFOLD to make drone landing platforms using “industrial origami” manufacturing technology.

Swiss drone delivery company RigiTech has further expanded its zone of international activity with the launch of trial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights of medical supplies in Uruguay.

After dishing out pretty much every possible image and specification detail on the still (officially) unannounced DJI Air 3 UAV Wednesday, ascendant leaker Igor Bogdanov immediately moved on to his next mission: Revealing the global drone giant’s work to introduce what he says is a UAV specially made for aerial deliveries.

Arrive, a drone delivery mailbox manufacturer formerly known as Dronedek, says it has raised more than $1.3 million from 428 investors. This is the second time the Indianapolis-based company’s crowdfunding campaign has brought in more than $1 million.

Up-and-coming drone delivery company RigiTech has followed breakthrough successes in France and its domestic market of Switzerland with a new achievement in Denmark, developing a specialized payload lowering system that enables fast and precise transportation of parts to offshore wind farms.

Up-and-coming cargo delivery drone developer MightyFly is preparing what the company calls the first public demonstration of an autonomous, fixed-wing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with planned flights in Michigan of its third-generation UAV hauling 100 lb. of freight.

Newly published figures are offering an idea of just how enormous the problem of drone use to deliver contraband to prisons around the world has become, showing nearly 100 suspected UAV drops made to a single Canadian jail last year alone.

It looks like Spright, the drone services division of air medical service provider Air Methods, is set to receive what is being called the only universal and fully autonomous drone docking station in the world. Israel-based StrixDrones tells DroneDJ that the first units of its highly advanced Strix2100 DroneDock are now rolling off the assembly line in Dayton, Ohio.

Aerial transport company Drone Delivery Canada has added new capacities to its growing array of UAV activities by obtaining approval from regulators for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights of dangerous goods as part of its Care by Air program.

Even as leading drone delivery company Zipline readies the operational launch of its new Platform 2 network for commercial clients in the US, the company is fêting the anniversary of its groundbreaking healthcare distribution work in Africa ­– an activity that has already benefitted millions of people, and which is now set to be extended and diversified with the backing of trans-Atlantic government partners.

Drone logistics company Aviant has announced the launch of its home delivery service, Kyte. Drones will now deliver groceries, takeaway food, and non-prescription medicines to sparsely populated areas and vacation homes in Norway. In addition, Aviant has landed $1 million in funding from Innovation Norway to autonomously deliver vital prescription medicines directly from pharmacies to people in remote and suburban areas.

Skyports Drone Services has moved to expand its international footprint and multiply its activities across Asia with new medical UAV delivery trials to remote destinations in Thailand.

Medical technology company Siemens Healthineers says it plans to roll out a drone delivery solution to transport laboratory diagnostics materials as well as other medical supplies in Africa. The company is joining forces with Wingcopter, a German developer and operator of delivery drones, for this initiative.

Top US cargo carrier Ameriflight has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drone deliveries as part of its regular services, and will soon begin using California-based UAV developer Matternet’s M2 craft and navigating systems to launch that activity.

As reported in past posted, the Ford Motor Co. is busy working on ways to integrate drones for use with its cars, trucks, and vans, with a newly published patent indicating how the automotive giant is looking to facilitate delivery craft landing on moving vehicles.