Three popular retailers will be the first to pilot new technology that could help solve the problems with drone deliveries, according to Axios earlier this week.
Axios reports that the three companies — Walmart, 7-Eleven and Chick-fil-A — are using the tech from a Virginia startup company called “DroneUp,” which would address issues with ground logistics.
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“Getting a drone to deliver a hot chicken sandwich or a cold Slurpee in a matter of minutes depends a lot more on what happens on the ground than what occurs in the sky,” the report reads.
On Tuesday, DroneUp reportedly showcased a new autonomous drone “ecosystem” that involves a climate-controlled storage locker, which is where the drone can pick up and drop off packages.
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Meanwhile, the system’s software allows the drones to know where to go and when, as well as avoid other aircraft.
But how does it work?
A participating retailer or restaurant like the three listed above would assign a barcode label to a customer’s order. Workers scan the barcode to open a locker before placing the package inside.
While the package is examined by robotic equipment inside the locker, a drone is dispatched to pick it up and fly it to the delivery destination.
After the delivery is made, the package is stored inside another climate-controlled locker until the customer uses a code or verification system to unlock it.
Since the storage locker these drones use is even smaller than a standard parking space, it could be installed at plenty of different locations, including strip malls, college campuses or even more out-of-the-way areas.
In addition, shoppers are expected to be able to use these lockers to return orders via drone.
While drone delivery is relatively expensive right now — around $38 per trip, Axios’ report says — most of the cost is tied to labor, so drones can make these deliveries far less expensive in the long run.
According to Axios, DroneUp is set to roll out the new drone ecosystem in select markets later this year.
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