Thousands of drone cargo aircraft could soon provide rapid deliveries across Europe, but maybe not in the way you expect. DHL has signed a deal with European drone company Dronamics to develop middle-mile transport by uncrewed aircraft.
Amazon’s AMZN -1.1% long-promised drone delivery service seems as far off as ever, with reports of the implosion of the UK-based development team. Meanwhile Google Wing’s delivery drones are confined to a trial scheme in Christiansburg, Virginia. But last-mile deliveries were always a hard target. The middle mile is more straightforward, and drone makers Dronamics have just agreed a deal with DHL to speed transport across Europe. The aim is to enable next-day deliveries for time-critical industries such as pharmaceuticals and perishable goods like fresh fruit and meat.
The plan is to develop a solution which combines DHL's existing first-mile and last-mile services for pick-ups and deliveries linking with Dronamics plans for low-cost drones from European airports. This is more achievable than drone deliveries with existing technology.
“The complexity of flying in low altitudes full of obstacles like the kind you have in urban and suburban environments, is orders of magnitude higher,” says Svilen Rangelov, Dronamics cofounder and CEO. “We fly between populated areas, not inside of them, so both the air risk and the ground risk are lower.”
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2021/08/17/dhl-partners-with-dronamics-for-middle-mile-drone-service/?sh=704b5323362d
Amazon’s AMZN -1.1% long-promised drone delivery service seems as far off as ever, with reports of the implosion of the UK-based development team. Meanwhile Google Wing’s delivery drones are confined to a trial scheme in Christiansburg, Virginia. But last-mile deliveries were always a hard target. The middle mile is more straightforward, and drone makers Dronamics have just agreed a deal with DHL to speed transport across Europe. The aim is to enable next-day deliveries for time-critical industries such as pharmaceuticals and perishable goods like fresh fruit and meat.
The plan is to develop a solution which combines DHL's existing first-mile and last-mile services for pick-ups and deliveries linking with Dronamics plans for low-cost drones from European airports. This is more achievable than drone deliveries with existing technology.
“The complexity of flying in low altitudes full of obstacles like the kind you have in urban and suburban environments, is orders of magnitude higher,” says Svilen Rangelov, Dronamics cofounder and CEO. “We fly between populated areas, not inside of them, so both the air risk and the ground risk are lower.”
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2021/08/17/dhl-partners-with-dronamics-for-middle-mile-drone-service/?sh=704b5323362d
