Three companies are continuing to develop their own drone delivery programs. They include Maersk Tankers, Amazon, and Wal-Mart.
(Courtesy: Maersk Tanker Company)
Maersk Tankers has been testing the use of drones to deliver to vessels at sea. The drones have been certified for explosive environments. According to Maersk, the purpose of the experiment is to see if drones can be used as an efficient form of delivery.
The first test took place off the shores of Denmark and involved the delivery of cookies. This was the first delivery to a vessel at sea using a drone. Maersk’s drone project is in partnership with Xamen Technologies, a drone manufacturer.
Using drones to deliver shipments to vessels at sea is said to be cost effective. For example, the cost of using a barge to deliver supplies to a ship averages $1,000 or higher. Maersk estimates that the potential savings of using drones is $3,000 to $9,000 per vessel per year.
Besides using drones to deliver, Maersk is also considering their potential to be used for other purposes including inspection of ships. For example, a drone could be used to take high-quality photographs or videos to identify cracks on a tanker.
Online retailer Amazon, who shook up the retail business when it suggested that drones could be used to deliver packages, unveiled a new prototype of drones that it expects to use as part of its Prime Air Service. Amazon claims that the drone can deliver packages in less than 30 minutes.
Amazon reports that the new drone weighs 55 pounds and can carry a 5-pound package. It flies under 400 feet and uses sense and avoid technology to keep away from obstacles as it flies to a delivery destination.
At the end of last year, Wal-Mart applied to U.S. regulators to obtain permission to test drones for home delivery, curbside pickup, and to perform inventory in warehouses. It was reported
(Courtesy: Wal-Mart)
at the time that the company had been conducting indoor tests of drones.
Wal-Mart took the action after the Federal Aviation Administration said last June that it expected to finalize rules within 12-months. Wal-Mart has said that it wants to move fast to deploy drones once the FAA finalizes its regulations.
Wal-Mart has said that it wants to use drones in its grocery pickup service as well as for home delivery in small residential neighborhoods after gathering permission from residents of the area over which the drones would fly. Wal-Mart plans to test whether drones can be launched from a truck to safely deliver a package at a customer’s home and then return safely and land on the truck.
Wal-Mart plans to use drones manufactured by SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd, a Chinese company.
(Courtesy: Amazon)