Australian start-up tests drone delivery in urban U.S. environments

A Flirtey drone was able to maneuver around buildings in an uninhabited residential setting in Hawthorne, Nev. to deliver a package in the first Federal Aviation Administration-approved test in the United States.    Flirtey, an Australian start-up drone delivery company, successfully completed the first fully autonomous, government-approved urban drone delivery in the United States.
   In an uninhabited residential setting in Hawthorne, Nev., the company delivered a package that included bottled water, emergency food and a first aid kit.
   The company says drones can be used to deliver humanitarian goods following disasters. The test demonstrated the capability of the Flirtey drone to navigate around buildings.
   Drone delivery is being intensely explored by Amazon, DHL and others for e-commerce and carryout-food deliveries.
   Flirtey said its six-rotor drone flew itself along a pre-determined delivery route and lowered the package at a precise drop-off location. A Flirtey pilot and several visual observers were on standby during the delivery as a backup to the autonomous system, but were never needed.
   Last summer Flirtey used an unmanned aerial vehicle to deliver a medical package in a remote area of Virginia.
   U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regulations require drones to be operated by a human operator and keep the vehicle in his or her line of sight, but exceptions are made for research purposes. The FAA is developing rules for remote operation of drones for commercial purposes. It recently formed a committee to develop recommendations for performance-based standards for the classification and operation of unmanned aircraft that can be operated safely over people. The committee, which includes representatives from unmanned aircraft manufacturers and operators, is scheduled to deliver its report by April 1.
   “Conducting the first drone delivery in an urban setting is a major achievement, taking us closer to the day that drones make regular deliveries to your front doorstep,” Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeny said in a statement.