Delivery drones

If a drone is large and powerful enough to carry packages long distances, then that drone is likely too big and noisy to be landing in amongst trees, houses and bystanders. The BMT Sparrow system could help, by autonomously steering lowered loads.

When we last heard about Zipline, the California company was using parachutes to drop packages from its delivery drones to the ground. The firm's just-announced Platform 2 (P2) system, however, lowers loads inside of self-steering "droids."

Food vendors won't have to wait around for Wing's delivery drones to come pick up an order. The company has released video of new "AutoLoader" stations that'll hang onto boxes waiting for a skyhook-style pickup from the next available drone.

While short-range radio remote control may be fine for consumer drones, long-distance delivery drones often use cellular networks to communicate with their operators. A new mobile network system could make the latter method much more reliable.

Back in 2020, California-based startup Pyka launched an autonomous electric crop duster called the Pelican. Now the company has developed a cargo-carrying version that's billed as the world's largest autonomous electric cargo airplane.

Florida's "silent" flying dish-rack, powered by ionic propulsion, is on track for commercial rollout in 2024, according to Undefined Technologies, which has released new outdoor flight test video. We remain curious, but unconvinced it'll be viable.

Matternet M2 drone has received a Type Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, the first non-military drone to do so, which should help streamline its efforts to make drone delivery an accessible and everyday service.

In most delivery-by-drone systems, cargo has to be packed into system-specific containers, or must fit inside a designated onboard compartment. The new RDS2 setup, however, can transport almost any shape or size of parcel, weighing as much as 10 kg (22 lb).

While pilots often use an autopilot at high altitudes, they typically switch to manual control when entering crowded lower airspaces. However, what if the plane has no pilot? Well, a new AI autopilot system for busy airspaces may be the answer.

In an effort to get chemotherapy treatment to patients in a more timely manner, the UK's National Health Service is embarking on a new drone delivery trial for the Isle of Wight, billed as the first of its kind.

German company Wingcopter has signed a deal to roll out 12,000 of its long-range, triple-drop delivery drones across Africa over the next five years, in what promises to be the largest commercial drone deployment ever attempted.

Zipline has developed and patented an AI-driven safety system it says allows autonomous drones to detect and avoid other aircraft and drones up to 2 km away in all directions, using a light, cheap and robust microphone array. Will it satisfy the FAA?