UPS has partnered with drone developer CyPhy Works to begin testing the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to deliver packages to remote or hard-to-reach locations.
The trials began with the mock delivery of a child’s inhaler from Beverly, Massachusetts, to Children’s Island approximately three miles off the Atlantic coast. The battery-powered Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications (PARC) drone used in the trial had been equipped with night vision cameras and secure communication channels.
Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice president of global engineering and sustainability, said, “Our focus is on real-world applications that benefit our customers. We think drones offer a great solution to deliver to hard-to-reach locations in urgent situations where other modes of transportation are not readily available.”
Helen Greiner, CyPhy’s founder and chief technology officer, said, “Drone technology used in this way can save lives and deliver products and services to places that are difficult to reach by traditional transit infrastructures.”