Airlift the essentials – Wing drone delivery takes flight in Logan
A quick trip to the shops is never just that – quick. Being caught out without the essentials is more of a hassle than we care to acknowledge, and sometimes we simply don’t have the time to drop everything and make a mad dash to the supermarket. Well, one company is coming up with a nifty solution to this problem by using drones. Yes, those remote-controlled flying robots are the next wave in express delivery mechanisms, and Wing is bringing its up-and-coming drone delivery service to Logan. Out of milk? In dire need of a screwdriver? Crave a coffee like your life depends on it? Wing is your robotic guardian angel, dropping off these necessities at your door.
While the concept of drone deliveries isn’t new (many companies are trialling their own services overseas), Wing is leading the way in commercial drone services in Australia. After extensive trials in Helsinki and Canberra, Wing is bringing its aerial courier system to the residential yards of Logan, offering express delivery of goods to locals of Crestmead and Marsden. Over the past few years, Wing has obtained approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, implementing its comprehensive unmanned traffic management (UTM) platform to allow a high volume of drones to safely share and navigate the skies. Since 2013, Wing has undertaken more than 80,000 test flights as part of its commercial trials – refining its algorithms in the hope that a wide-spread adoption of drone services will assist in cutting the carbon emissions generated by the delivery of items by cars or trucks.
So, how does it work? Wing users simply place their order using the company’s app, selecting their desired goods like you would UberEATS or Deliveroo. Once the order is locked in, Wing’s software calculates the best route from the drone launch site, factoring safety and regulatory restrictions into the flight plan. The drone makes its way to the merchant pick-up point, where staff then attach the package to an extendable tether while Wing’s drone hovers roughly seven metres above the ground. Once connected, the drone ascends and commences its flight to the destination, where upon arrival it descends once more to seven metres and lowers the tether before automatically releasing the package. Users need not interact with the drone directly, just stand back and watch as their order is placed on their driveway in their backyard. Each Wing drone is designed to be able to carry small packages of approximately 1.5 kg, and users can currently order items from local businesses Extraction Artisan Coffee, Friendly Grocer at Crestmead and Browns Plains Hardware.
If you’re interested in trying out the technology for yourself, you can sign up via the Wing website.
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