UPS partners with drone maker to test urgent parcel delivery service

The parcel giant and unmanned aircraft manufacturer CyPhy Works have begun joint testing of drone usage for commercial package delivery in remote or difficult-to-reach locations.    UPS Inc. has partnered with drone manufacturer CyPhy Works to test the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for urgent parcel delivery, according to a statement from UPS.
   The parcel giant began the joint testing of drone usage for commercial package delivery in remote or difficult-to-reach locations last week with a mock delivery of medicine from Beverly, Mass. to Children’s Island, about three miles off the Atlantic coast.
   The company previously invested in CyPhy though the UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund in an effort to study drone uses and capabilities for commercial delivery applications.
   For last week’s test, UPS used a CyPhy UAS called the Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications (PARC) system, a battery-powered drone that flies autonomously, meaning very little user training is required. The companies flew the PARC from Beverly to Children’s Island to test the viability of using the drone to make a time-critical delivery, bringing an asthma inhaler to a child at a camp on the island, which is not reachable by automobile.
   Last month, new U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules for operating commercial drones went into effect, regulations UPS called “a step in the right direction” in terms of safe drone usage. UPS Airlines Director of Safety Capt. Houston Mills was recently appointed to the FAA’s new drone advisory committee, and the company said it intends to continue working closely with regulators to “stay on the right path.”
   UPS has previously explored the use of drones to check high storage racks to confirm inventory or available storage space in warehouses, as well as for delivering humanitarian aid in difficult-to-reach areas of the world.
   “Our focus is on real-world applications that benefit our customers,” Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice president of global engineering and sustainability, said of the test. “We think drones offer a great solution to deliver to hard-to-reach locations in urgent situations where other modes of transportation are not readily available.”
   “We’re thrilled to partner with UPS in this endeavor,” added CyPhy founder and Chief Technology Officer Helen Greiner. “Drone technology used in this way can save lives and deliver products and services to places that are difficult to reach by traditional transit infrastructures.”
   “UPS has a history of innovation that reaches back more than a hundred years,” said Wallace. “UPS uniformed employees remain a vital connection to our customers, but tests like these reveal a bridge to the future of customer service and urgent package delivery. We are continuously exploring ways to improve our network to efficiently support our customers’ demanding requirements.”