Drone developer Starship Technologies has taken its UK operations to the next level after launching a new public drone delivery service in Milton Keynes.
Under the new service, customers pay a monthly subscription of £7.99 (US$10), which enables them to have their packages delivered via a Starship drone at a time and location that suits them.
Local residents sign up for the new service via the Starship app (iOS and Android), where they are provided with the address of a local Starship depot to use in place of their home address. Once the package arrives at the facility, the customer is sent a notification via email or text, whereupon they can arrange the date, time and location for pickup.
Lex Bayer, CEO, Starship, said, “We’re excited that thanks to our technology, local communities across Milton Keynes will never miss a home delivery again. Today more than ever, people lead busy and diverse lives. The hassle of needing to rearrange your life for a delivery will become a thing of the past. No more having to reschedule meetings, visit a locker, drive to a sorting office or contact a courier because of a missed delivery. Starship gets packages to consumers when and where they want them.”
Starship Technologies was founded in July 2014 by two Skype co-founders, Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, with Lex Bayer joining as CEO in June 2018 from Airbnb. To date, the company’s robots have covered over 125,000 miles in 20 countries and over 100 cities around the world.