Subsidiary Alphabet starts commercial drone delivery in the US
Alphabet’s subsidiary Wing has started commercial drone delivery in the US state of Virginia. Wings partners with FedEx Express, Walgreens, and Sugar Magnolia to deliver packages via airmail.
On Friday, Wing conducted the first drone deliveries in the Virginia city of Christiansburg during the pilot. These included a birthday gift via FedEx Express and a package of tissues, water and cough sweets from drugstore chain Walgreens, Wing describes. In addition, the Wing drones will deliver packages from Sugar Magnolia, the local chain that sells chocolate, among other things.
Wing uses drones with twelve propellers, supplemented by two wings, each with its own propeller. The drones have a length of 1.3 meters and a wingspan of 1 meter. They can carry packages weighing up to 1.5 kilograms and travel up to 20 kilometers. The maximum speed is 113 km/h.
During a delivery, the drone hovers at a height of about 7 meters to lower the package from there to the delivery location. Users are advised to keep a distance of at least two meters. The drone contains a camera as a backup for GPS, but Wing emphasizes that it is pointed downwards and cannot be aimed at objects.
Wing received a license from the US Federal Aviation Administration in April to use drones for delivery as an airline.