Delivery drones

Amazon is understandably keen to make the job of deliveries easier. The latest idea is a new patent for a system where delivery vans would carry items almost to their destination, then send out and direct ground drones to do the final drop-off.

German drone maker Wingcopter has today introduced a new generation model, the Wingcopter 198. This tilt-rotor/fixed-wing eVTOL drone is capable of delivering three packages to multiple locations during one flight.

While aerial drones do show promise as a means of urban parcel delivery, their small size will limit them to carrying relatively light packages. An experimental new system, however, lets multiple drones team up to hoist heftier items.

Early in March the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine drone deliveries began in the African nation of Ghana. The drone dropped 250 vaccine doses by parachute to a rural health center, one of 36 deliveries completed on the first day.

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.