- A fully autonomous drone makes its first successful urban package delivery
- The first FAA-approved flight occurred in Hawthorne, Nevada
- The successful delivery proved that drones can safely navigate urban obstacles such as power lines, trees and street lamps
A six-rotor fully autonomous drone has successfully made its first urban package delivery in the United States.
The drone, operated by Flirtey, completed the first Federal Aviation Administration-approved urban delivery in Hawthorne, a small town in Nevada on March 10.
Nevada is one of six states the Federal Aviation Administration has designated as test sites for unmanned aircraft.
The drone, according to Popular Science, flew along a pre-determined path (a GPS programmed route). After the half-mile journey and reaching its target house, the six-engine multicopter lowered a package containing bottled water, emergency food, and a first aid kit.
The drone’s flight was just a demonstration of what the drone could carry to people in need, the Popular Science magazine said.
Flirtey chief executive Matt Sweeney said a pilot and a visual observer were on standby in case things get awry, but they were not needed.
He said the successful urban delivery proved that drones can safely navigate obstacles such as power lines, rooftops and street lamps in urban areas.
“The achievement is taking us closer to the day that drones make regular deliveries to your front doorstep”, Sweeney added.
Sweeney said Hawthorne is a town that has the ideal characteristics for Flirtey because it contained several elements needed to test the drone’s capabilities in an “urban” setting. There are residential housing lots that have trees and power lines in Hawthorne, that are perfect for research and testing precision delivery, he said
He said the company is preparing for a flight test in an urban populated area, “the kind of environment that people live in on a daily basis.”
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