Delivery giant UPS and drone startup CyPhy Works have teamed up to make drone delivery a thing. The announcement comes today as UPS has begun testing drones to fulfill “commercial deliveries of packages to remote or difficult-to-access locations.”
Drone testing began yesterday when both companies, UPS and CyPhy Works, ran a mock delivery of medicine from Beverly, Massachusetts to Children’s Island. This comes after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued new rules for commercial drone use last month. UPS is in favor of said rules and will keep working with regulators to “stay on the right path.” Other companies such as Amazon and Flirtey have resorted to testing outside of the United States.
“Our focus is on real-world applications that benefit our customers,” said UPS senior vice president of global engineering and sustainability, Mark Wallace. “We think drones offer a great solution to deliver to hard-to-reach locations in urgent situations where other modes of transportation are not readily available.”
Airbourne deliveries aren’t the only drone uses UPS has in mind; the company has been testing drones in warehouses for inventory keeping.
“We’re thrilled to partner with UPS in this endeavor,” said Helen Greiner, founder and CEO of CyPhy Works. “Drone technology used in this way can save lives and deliver products and services to places that are difficult to reach by traditional transit infrastructures.”
CyPhy Works used its specialized Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and communications (PARC) drone for the mock drone delivery. The multirotor, which has been modified from its usual military form factor, sports six blades along with a parcel holder and UPS decal. Carrying an asthma inhaler, the drone made a time-critical delivery over Children’s Island, an area not reachable by automobile. TechCrunch reports the delivery by drone took roughly eight minutes over a span of twenty-five miles. That’s not surprising considering CyPhy Works’ spiffy drone is normally used for high-altitude military surveillance.
UPS might have pulled a minor flight test, but even this displays the shipping company’s interest in drone technologies. The skunkworks-like concept would prove especially useful if Amazon surprisingly ditches UPS in favor for its own Prime Air service. I’m sure there is a handful of retailers keen on taking flight with speedy drone deliveries provided by UPS.
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