New Atlas

Drones Audio available

Drone-delivered kidney gets transplanted into patient

Ben Coxworth May 1, 2019

Using regular aircraft to transport organs usually works OK, but problems can arise when flights are delayed, or when planes can't land in remote areas. That's where drones could make a difference – and in an April 19th exercise, one was used to deliver a kidney for a human recipient.

The HOMAL-equipped multicopter comes in for a landing at the University of Maryland Medical Center

Drones Audio available

Google's delivery drones get the green light in Australia

Nick Lavars April 9, 2019

Google’s parent company Alphabet is launching its very first air delivery service in the Australian capital of Canberra, following years of trials in the area. Wing, as the Alphabet subsidiary is called, will now begin delivering an assortment of goods to local customers via a mobile app.

Drones Audio available

UPS begins routine drone deliveries of medical samples to US hospital

Nick Lavars March 26, 2019

The latest party to turn to the Silicon Valley startup Matternet for aerial courier solutions is logistics giant UPS, which will use its drones to ferry medical samples between labs and a hospital in North Carolina.

The UPS delivery service will use Matternet's M2 drone

Drones

Airbus drones deliver first packages to ships offshore

Nick Lavars March 17, 2019

Airbus has kicked off a new drone delivery trial in which its Skyways drone will deposit packages onto ships anchored offshore. It's hoped the technology now being tested in Singapore will speed up delivery times, and offer a greener and safer way of doing business in busy ports.

Airbus began shore-to-ship trials in Singapore with its Skyways parcel delivery drone last Friday

Drones

FAA proposes relaxing drone laws, potentially allowing drone deliveries to begin

Loz Blain January 14, 2019

America's Federal Aviation Authority has put forth a set of proposed amendments to current drone laws that would allow drone users to fly over crowds and at night under certain circumstances, without needing to file paperwork and obtain exemptions.

New drone rules under consideration could open up some interesting new uses for the unmanned aircraft

Drones Audio available

Alphabet's Wing delivery drone service to launch in Finland next year

Paul Ridden December 4, 2018

Alphabet's Project X drones started delivering burritos to customers in Australia's Capital Territory last year, and has now announced that folks in Finland can look forward to package deliveries by air from early 2019.

Alphabet's Wing will begin a drone delivery service trial around Helsinki, Finland, in early 2019

Drones Audio available

Vanuatu to trial drone delivery of vaccines to remote islands

Nick Lavars October 31, 2018

Of all the potential uses for drones, using them to deliver life-saving medicines in developing countries is one of the most promising. The government of Vanuatu is now set to see what all the buzz about, announcing plans to trial vaccine-carrying drones before the year is out.

Drones

DHL Parcelcopter takes to Tanzanian skies

Ben Coxworth October 5, 2018

When we last heard about courier company DHL's Parcelcopter delivery drone, it had been delivering medication to a remote island village and a mountaintop community, both in Germany. Now, the most recent version of the aircraft has just completed a pilot project in Tanzania.

The Parcelcopter 4.0 flies over Lake Victoria

Drones

Uber imagines five-minute food deliveries with hamburger-toting drones

Nick Lavars May 17, 2018

At the Uber Elevate conference last week, the company revealed that it is kicking off a test program that could one day bring items to a customer via drone in as little as five minutes.

Uber will start by exploring the idea of drone delivery indoors in San Diego

Drones

Zipline announces faster-than-ever drone delivery service

Ben Coxworth April 3, 2018

Zipline made headlines when it launched what it claimed was the world's first national drone delivery service, for transporting blood to medical clinics in Rwanda. Now, the company has announced an overhaul of that system, which involves upgrading to the "world's fastest delivery drone."

Drones will reportedly now be launched within one minute of receiving an order