UPS Tests Residential Delivery Via Drone Launched From Atop Package Car
February 21 2017 - 10:25AM
UPS (NYSE:UPS) announced today that it has successfully tested a
drone that launches from the top of a UPS® package car,
autonomously delivers a package to a home and then returns to the
vehicle while the delivery driver continues along the route to make
a separate delivery.
UPS conducted the test on Monday in Lithia, Fla. with Workhorse
Group (NASDAQ:WKHS), an Ohio-based battery-electric truck and drone
developer. Workhorse built the drone and the electric UPS package
car used in the test.
“This test is different than anything we’ve done with drones so
far. It has implications for future deliveries, especially in rural
locations where our package cars often have to travel miles to make
a single delivery,” said Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice president of
global engineering and sustainability. “Imagine a triangular
delivery route where the stops are miles apart by road. Sending a
drone from a package car to make just one of those deliveries can
reduce costly miles driven. This is a big step toward bolstering
efficiency in our network and reducing our emissions at the same
time.”
With ORION, UPS’s On-Road Integrated Optimization Navigation
routing software, a reduction of just one mile per driver per day
over one year can save UPS up to $50 million. UPS has about 66,000
delivery drivers on the road each day. Rural delivery routes are
the most expensive to serve due to the time and vehicle expenses
required to complete each delivery. In this test, the drone made
one delivery while the driver continued down the road to make
another. This is a possible role UPS envisions for drones in the
future.
“Drivers are the face of our company, and that won’t change,”
Wallace said. “What’s exciting is the potential for drones to aid
drivers at various points along their routes, helping them save
time and deliver on increasing customer service needs that stem
from the growth of e-commerce.”
The drone used in Monday’s test was the Workhorse HorseFly™ UAV
Delivery system. It is a high-efficiency, octocopter delivery drone
that is fully integrated with Workhorse’s line of electric/hybrid
delivery trucks. The drone docks on the roof of the delivery truck.
A cage suspended beneath the drone, extends through a hatch into
the truck. A UPS driver inside loads a package into the cage and
presses a button on a touch screen, sending the drone on a preset
autonomous route to an address. The battery-powered HorseFly drone
recharges while it’s docked. It has a 30-minute flight time and can
carry a package weighing up to 10 pounds.
For this test, Workhorse preset the route for the drone. But in
the future, routes could be determined by UPS’s On-Road Integrated
Optimization and Navigation (ORION), which is the company’s
proprietary routing software.
“It’s wonderful to see this technology applied in such a
practical way,” said Stephen Burns, Workhorse founder and CEO. “The
drone is fully autonomous. It doesn’t require a pilot. So the
delivery driver is free to make other deliveries while the drone is
away.”
UPS has been testing automation and robotics technologies,
including drones, for years. Last September, UPS staged a mock
delivery of urgently needed medicine from Beverly, Mass. to an
island three miles off the Atlantic coast. Additionally, UPS is
using drones extensively for humanitarian relief, partnering with
third-party organizations to deliver life-saving blood and vaccines
to hard-to-reach locations in Rwanda. UPS also is utilizing drones
to check inventory on high storage shelves in its warehouses.
Unlike all of the previous tests, the most recent UPS drone test
shows how drones might assist in making non-urgent residential
deliveries as part of the day-to-day operation.
Last year, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued
small unmanned aircraft systems rules that allow for some
commercial use of drones and paved the way for future expanded
applications. UPS was one of 35 selected from a cross section of
key stakeholders to serve on the FAA’s drone advisory
committee. The committee will provide the FAA recommendations
on key drone integration issues that will ultimately allow for safe
and secure operations of drones within the National Air Space
System.
About UPS
UPS (NYSE:UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad
range of solutions including transporting packages and freight;
facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology
to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in
Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories
worldwide. The company can be found on the web at ups.com and
its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get
UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS or follow
@UPS_News.
About Workhorse Group Inc.
Workhorse Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WKHS) is a U.S. – based original
equipment manufacturer of medium duty EPA-approved battery-electric
delivery vehicles and fully integrated truck-launched, FAA
compliant unmanned aerial systems (UAS) delivery drones. Workhorse
trucks have historically been sold to the largest fleets in the USA
and Canada for last-mile delivery and related uses. For additional
information visit www.workhorse.com
Rebecca Harbin
MSL Group
(404) 875-1444
rebecca.harbin@mslgroup.com
Mike Dektas
Workhorse
(513) 266-3590
mike.dektas@workhorse.com
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