Deutsche Post DHL has announced that it recently completed its first successful drone delivery using an unmanned aerial vehicle in Bonn, Germany, to transport a three-kilogram medicine package. This was part of the company’s preliminary research into how drones could be used to deliver urgent packages to areas with limited access to traditional transport.
The yellow “PaketKopter” (or parcel copter), flew 50 meters high across the Rhine in Bonn bearing the three kilogram package of medicines for about one kilometer.
“We are at the beginning of the research project,” said DHL manager Ole Nordhoff, adding that the technology is quite exciting.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Deutsche Post DHL said in a statement that the company is considering the use of drones, as these could help customers get their purchases in half an hour or less. “The idea of using drones for parcel delivery is not new. Deutsche Post DHL also has its dedicated research project, in which DHL is testing a so-called parcel copter. In the context of this future-oriented innovation project, we are considering particularly urgent deliveries such as drug supply or deliveries via parcel copter to areas that are geographically difficult to access. However, we do not have specific plans to use the parcel copter in our regular parcel delivery operations at present.”
Although there have been no physical problems thus far with package delivery, Deutsche Post DHL is still scrutinizing the use of commercial drones as it may violate some laws.
In the US, the use of all commercial drones is currently illegal, with the Federal Aviation Administration mandated to issue regulations by the end of 2015.
DHL said it had permission from local aviation authorities to run the test flights, but reiterated that these were simply part of a trial in the company’s goal to revolutionize the future of its logistics business.
