Cargo Delivery Drones – Flying Soon Near You

Cargo Delivery Drones – Flying Soon Near You

by | Jun 28, 2015 | Air | 2 comments

Flirtey Delivery Drones to Make Historic “Kitty Hawk” Flight Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 07 Cargo Delivery Drones – Flying Soon Near You (June 25, 2015) (Editor’s Note: Throwback to my third LinkedIn article regarding unmanned cargo) It has been a year of firsts for the commercial drone delivery concept. In February, Alibaba’s online marketplace, Taobao, partnered up with YTO Express to run a real world test in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, allowing 450 people (on a first-come-first-served basis) to order ginger tea and receive it via UAV in less than an hour.  In June, Fastway Couriers teamed up with Flirtey to successfully carry out drone parcel deliveries in New Zealand by transporting automobile parts along a 1.9 km (1.2 mile) route in less than 5 minutes, compared to 20 minutes by traditional courier.   And now, Flirtey is at it again. The Australian commercial drone startup, in partnership with NASA and Virginia Tech, will be the first company to demonstrate the practicality of commercial drone deliveries in the US as part of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved test flight slated for July 17. Flirtey’s hexacopter UAVs and NASA’s fixed-winged aircraft will deliver pharmaceuticals to a free medical clinic in Wise, Virginia as part of the “Let’s Fly Wisely” event, which aims to demonstrate how drones can improve health care access and create economic opportunities.  A total of 24 packages will be delivered by Flirtey’s hexacopters, which are made from carbon fiber, aluminum and 3D printed components. Each lightweight, multi-rotor UAV has a range of 30 kilometers (20 miles). They feature built-in safety measures, such as low-battery alert and low GPS signal/full communication loss auto-return to a...
The Age of the Cargo Drones – How Will Your Goods Be Delivered?

The Age of the Cargo Drones – How Will Your Goods Be Delivered?

by | Jun 25, 2015 | Air | 0 comments

Autonomous Last Mile Delivery Solutions – Amazon, Matternet and Container Delivery Direct from Cargo Ships Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 06 The Age of the Cargo Drones – How Will Your Goods Be Delivered? (May 14, 2015) (Editor’s Note: Throwback to my second LinkedIn article regarding unmanned cargo) Last week, at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) conference, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it would take part in 3 research projects to collect data about the safety of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. Among those eagerly awaiting this information are both startups and heavy hitters such as Matternet and Amazon. If approved, BVLOS maneuvers could bring the concept of commercial cargo drone systems one step closer to reality. Current data suggests that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could potentially deliver a 5 pound (2.27 kg) package in under 30 minutes for as low as $1. This would significantly revolutionize traditional last mile package delivery logistics. Something that both Matternet and Amazon are aiming to do in their own specific way. Matternet, a company working on perfecting drone-based delivery, envisions the use of an interconnected quadcopter system to deliver light packages such as medicines, documents and electronic goods. Their Matternet ONE drones are programmed to autonomously follow routes plotted by the company’s cloud software, adjusting automatically for weather, restricted airspace and physical obstacles. For $5000, interested companies could own and operate a Matternet ONE. However, there are also talks of a subscription service that would lease the hardware for as low as $1000 per month per UAV. Having already tested drone operations in Haiti and...
Next Generation Unmanned Short-Sea Cargo Ship

Next Generation Unmanned Short-Sea Cargo Ship

by | Jun 23, 2015 | Sea | 0 comments

Unmanned Cargo Ships: Pros, Cons and Next Steps Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 05 The ReVolt is Coming! (October 09, 2014) (Editor’s Note: Throwback to my first LinkedIn article regarding unmanned cargo) The ReVolt is coming! Not the long speculated “rise of the machines”, but rather the latest model of the next generation, battery powered, unmanned short-sea cargo vessels. Last month at SSM Hamburg, DNV GL released concept details for the zero-emission ReVolt which will be powered by a 3000kWh battery, be able to carry 100 TEU and have a range of 100 nautical miles before needing to recharge. Featuring an autonomous navigation system, it would require no crew or crew facilities thereby increasing ship capacity and reducing operating costs. Will the logistics chain be changed forever? The Vision The concept of unmanned cargo ships has been around for decades, but only recently with the advent of technology promoting the possibility of driverless cars (Google Cars) and tiny unmanned delivery aircraft (Amazon Prime Air) has the concept become more feasible. Although there are still all kinds of technical, economic and regulatory problems that must be overcome to make the unmanned-cargo-ship-as-a-crucial-link-in-the-logistics-supply-chain scenario a reality, there is substantial research currently going on that will accelerate the coming of age of drone ships. Earlier this year in Norway, the Blue Ocean Development Team of famed auto and engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce set up a prototype 360-degee virtual reality vessel bridge that captains will be able to use on land to command crewless ships (Rolls Royce). Further South, the European Union is currently funding a 3.8 million Euro (~4.8 million USD) study entitled...
Amazon Drones: Delivery in 30 Minutes for $1

Amazon Drones: Delivery in 30 Minutes for $1

by | Jun 18, 2015 | Air | 0 comments

Amazon Drones: Delivery in 30 Minutes for $1 Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 04 Amazon Drones Could Deliver Packages for Just $1, Study Suggests (April 10, 2014) (Editor’s Note: Making the business case for implementing a commercial delivery drone system) What the Article Chronicles: New York based ARK Investment Management has quantified how much a same-day drone delivery would cost compared with delivery truck and couriers. Given the 400 million annual shipments Amazon makes to US customers, an initial investment of $130 million to cover drone cost and support infrastructure and a budget of $350 million annually to cover operating expenses, Amazon would break even after the first year of operations. As the chart below shows, a similarly sized packaged would cost 8-13 times more for much longer delivery times. Although payload would be limited to 5 pounds (2.3 kg), this is of no consequence as approximately 86 % of all orders shipped by Amazon weigh less than this. Official UGV / Drone Name: Amazon Prime Air Companies Involved: ARK Investment Management Amazon What are your thoughts on ARK’s cost forecast for unmanned cargo delivery drones? Comment...
Autonomous Freight Truck in the U.S.

Autonomous Freight Truck in the U.S.

by | Jun 16, 2015 | Land | 0 comments

The Daimler Fully Automatic, Driverless Freight Truck Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 03 World’s First Unmanned Unmanned Freight Truck to Barrel Down America’s Highways: Meet the Fully-Automated ‘Inspiration Truck’ (May 06, 2015) (Editor’s Note: The Daimler Freightliner Inspiration Truck is the first licensed autonomous commercial truck to operate in American highways) What the Article Chronicles: The Freightliner Inspiration Truck has a Level 3 autonomous vehicle operating system that enables the driver to cede full control of all safety-critical functions under certain traffic or environmental conditions. Using cameras and radars, as well as lane stability, collision avoidance, speed control, smart braking and intelligent steering systems, this autonomous freight truck can stay within the proper highway lane and legal speed limits as well as maintain a safe braking distance from other vehicles, thus allowing it to safely slow down or stop as traffic conditions change. In certain situations (such as when the truck exits the highway, drives on local roads or attempts to dock at a warehouse) the driver is always in control. The Inspiration Truck also showcases Daimler’s platooning technology. When “Highway Pilot” is turned on, two or more properly equipped trucks can use vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology to automatically reduce the gap between them to about 25 feet (7.6 meters),  locking them into platoon formation thus using up to 6 percent less diesel than when trucks are traveling by themselves. A very detailed review of all the highlights, innovations and amenities of the Daimler Freightliner Inspiration Truck can be found at the TopSpeed website by clicking here. Official UGV / Drone Name: Daimler Freightliner Inspiration Truck Mission: To improve fuel consumption, reduce...