 |
| Google tests drone shipments from the rooftops of shopping malls |
Google's Wing has offered a pilot program to launch its drones from the roof of a shopping mall in Australia just steps away from stores that deliver goods for delivery.
The company said in a press release that it has sent more than 2,500 shipments from a mall in Logan to neighboring communities south of Brisbane.
The test was conducted in association with Vicinity Centers, which operates malls across Australia.
"This is the first time we have shared our drones with a company on their facilities," said Wing's Australian Policy and Community Affairs Officer. It is not about the need for local companies to share freight with us in our delivery plants. .
The trial seeks to bring the business drone delivery model closer to normal small business operations.
So far, Wing has worked with companies selling sushi, smoothies and tea-based drinks on a pilot project at the Grand Plaza Mall in Logan, Australia. The company said a pharmacy has also started selling over-the-counter drugs and other items.
Justin Mills, the company's chief innovation and information officer, said that while it's too early to assess whether something like this would benefit the sagging business, Vicente Centers sees the partnership as a way to expand its operations. .
"Retail is changing," Mills said in a statement. Vicinity Centers use testing and learning methods in areas of critical importance to the future role of Australian shopping malls.
Google is testing its drones in Australia, the United States and Finland
Amazons Wing, Prime Air and UPS, along with dozens of small startups, are competing for a new business model that uses tiny drones to speed up delivery of goods directly to customers.
However, conventional and large-scale delivery of drones still has a long way to go. Companies struggle with many factors ranging from profitability to public acceptance.
At the same time, the industry is still figuring out certain details of this potentially challenging technology, such as how to prevent dozens of connected planes from flying together.
Regulators such as the Federal Aviation Administration have yet to develop new rules to allow such flights.
A landing platform has been installed on the roof of the mall that can accommodate at least 16 drones. Last summer, Wing shipped 100,000 products to test sites in Australia, the United States and Finland.
The company also announced that it will expand its testing business in the United States. Wing has worked with Virginia Tech on the US Testing Program in Christiansburg, Virginia.
The company operates a hybrid aircraft over four feet long that can take off vertically and then fly horizontally like an airplane. Holds the package hollow. Once the aircraft reaches the landing point, the cable drops the beam to the ground. When the plane is flying.