Zomato, one of the leading food delivery service provider in India, has announced that it has successfully tested its drone delivery technology. The test was conducted using a hybrid drone and was a part of the company’s attempts to reduce the time taken to make a food delivery to its customers.
The development comes months after the company had acquired drone startup TechEagle to reduce food delivery times and solve other issues like pollution and traffic. Zomato has also revealed that it is forming a consortium as per Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines to carry out experimental Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations.
Zomato revealed that drone tests were carried out last week at one of the remote sites approved by the DGCA but the company did not reveal the exact location where the drone-delivered the package.
In a statement, Zomato’s Founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal said:
“We have been working towards building sustainable and safe delivery technology and with our first successful test, food delivery by drones is no longer just a pipe dream. While regulatory hurdles are not trivial, and the government’s concerns need to be looked at from various (valid) points of view, the tech is ready to fly and I am confident that drone delivery will be commonplace sooner rather than later.”
As for the drone used for this testing, it was a hybrid drone with a fusion of rotary wing and fixed wings, carrying a payload of 5 kilograms. It covered the distance of 5 kilometers in 10 minutes with a peak speed of 80kmph. Fully automated, each drone is currently being tested with (remote) pilot supervision to ensure safety, said the company.
According to the notification issued by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last month, interested companies need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the DGCA for conducting experimental Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations (BVLOS) of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)/Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
Up Next: Amazon unveils its new Prime Air drone for faster delivery operations
(Source)
