Project focuses on “delivery terminals” for parcel-carrying drones
DPDgroup has reported that it is pursuing a project for delivering parcels by drones. In a statement posted on its website on Thursday (23 July), DPDgroup (commercial brand of GeoPost, holding company of the French Groupe La Poste) said it is “paying close attention to ensuring the safety of drone take-off and landing as well as parcel release phases”.
In order to make the drone’s take-off and landing as safe as possible, said the statement, GeoPost has developed a unique solution: a delivery terminal.
The terminal, which was developed with project partner Atechsys, features:
- a structure protecting access to the drone during landing and take-off phases,
- an automated carriage system for transporting the parcel,
- an electronic system devoted to the safety of handling operations around the drone.
DPDgroup has been testing the conditions for delivering parcels by drones since June last year. Highlights of the programme include a test in September, when a drone successfully travelled 1,200 metres to deliver a 3kg parcel in real-life conditions. In February, tests demonstrated that the technology can cope with “severe cold” conditions.
The statement added that the use of drones, when combined with delivery terminals, can extend logistics networks into areas that are mountainous or blocked by floods or snow; and it will also ensure the safety of operators and bystanders, as well as protecting the parcel and equipment.
