UPS Flight Forward is collaborating with Wingcopter to develop the next generation of delivery drones for US and international services.
The delivery company’s drone subsidiary chose the German-built Wingcopter for its unmanned technology and track record in delivering goods over long distances.
Both companies will work toward earning regulatory certification for a Wingcopter to make commercial delivery flights in the USA.
Bala Ganesh, vice president of the UPS Advanced Technology Group, said, “Our collaboration with Wingcopter helps pave the way for us to start drone delivery service in new use-cases. UPS Flight Forward is building a network of technology partners to broaden our unique capability to serve customers and extend our leadership in drone delivery.”
Tom Pluemmer, CEO and co-founder of Wingcopter, said, “Our vision has always been to leverage technology to improve the lives of people around the world, and the strategic relationship with UPS will further accelerate our growth and global expansion, strengthening our role as an industry leader in drone technology.”
The Wingcopter can make vertical take-offs and landings in tight spaces, and UPS hopes it will move deliveries beyond the healthcare and retail sectors to the high-tech, manufacturing, hospitality, entertainment and other industries.
Wingcopter has already provided beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights for projects including medical deliveries to remote islands.
Among the projects were insulin deliveries to an Irish island frequently cut off by bad weather in the North Sea, and transporting vaccines on the South Sea island of Vanuatu.
