Walmart will join the ranks of those who want to do unmanned delivery
Apparently, the superhighway for unmanned aerial vehicles will soon be crowded . According to Reuters, the Walmart chain of stores has requested permission from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use drones for transporting and delivering goods.
The company plans to use unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured by DJI, which released the popular Phantom series of drones , and also reports that it has been testing drones indoors for a long time.
Walmart wants to use such machines to deliver groceries. It is planned that this service will be available next year in 43 stores.
In addition, Walmart intends to test drones as carriers of goods for customers who live near the stores of the network, as well as nearby neighborhoods, after receiving appropriate permission from those who live on the “flight line”. Such testing will show whether drones can take off from trucks, safely deliver the order to the buyer's house, and then return to the starting point as safely.
“Unmanned aerial vehicles have enormous potential and can connect a huge network of our stores, distribution points, order centers and a fleet of vehicles,” said Dan Toporek, a spokesman for Walmart. - 70% of US residents have Walmart stores within a radius of 8 kilometers. This gives us a unique opportunity to use drones to serve our customers. ”
Such ideas came about after Amazon, Google, and other companies began testing drones in the hope that the FAA would soon pass a law on their commercial use . FAA Deputy Head Michael Whitaker said in June that the Office expects to complete its consideration of this issue within a year, that is, faster than previously planned. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for commercial purposes is currently illegal, although companies may apply for permission to fly .
Amazon is still leading the race . At the beginning of the year, she already received permission to test drones in open areas, but the company still believes that the FAA is not fast enough . Online stores have already developed an exclusive sales plan for delivery drones.