Delivery drones

Florida's Undefined Technologies claims it has managed to increase the thrust levels of ion propulsion systems to "unprecedented levels" with its "Air Tantrum" technology, enabling very quiet drones with no moving parts in the propulsion system, that look like flying pallets.

Many people don't like the thought of delivery drones buzzing up to their door, with their propellers whirling dangerously close. The RDS1 setup was made with that in mind, as it drops packages in free-fall, but doesn't let them hit the ground.

If delivery drones ever do enter common usage, they won't be able to fly wherever they want. They'll have to stick to flight corridors, such as one that's set to open west of London. It's believed to be the first one located in unrestricted airspace.

When we hear about VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, we usually think of passenger-carrying "air taxis." The autonomous Nuuva, however, is being designed to give cargo-carrying helicopters a run for their money.

There are now a number of heavy-lift cargo drones on the market, and they pretty much all incorporate six to eight horizontal propellers. The Avidrone 210TL is different, though, in that it goes with two sets of full rotor blades.

One of the reasons that we're still not seeing delivery drones in common use is their limited battery range. According to a new study, though, that range could be extended if they hitched rides on top of buses.

Scientists have developed a new navigation algorithm that enables unmanned quadcopters to pull off some impressive acrobatics, a training pathway they hope can help boost drone efficiency in areas such as search and rescue operations.

Although they're relatively large, manta rays move easily through the water, thanks to their sleek shape. Well, that form has been copied in the aptly-named Manta Ray aerial delivery drone, which recently won an international competition.

As aviation regulators around the world work with the likes of Amazon and DHL to clear a legal pathway for drone delivery services to begin, a new study shows that the high energy cost of drones could make them worse for the environment than vans.

UPS and CVS are pushing ahead with their vision for aerial shipments of medical goods, today announcing a new project that will see drones deployed to carry prescription drugs from a Florida pharmacy to the largest retirement community in the US.

While it's important to get fresh seafood from fishing boats to restaurants ASAP, using a full-size crewed aircraft to do so isn't always cost-effective. That's why Yamaha and Japan Airlines are now looking at using a drone for part of the journey.

After being granted FAA certification for package delivery by drone last year, UPS Flight Forward has now joined forces with German drone maker Wingcopter to get a new breed of vertical takeoff and landing delivery drones into US skies.