Delivery UAVs See Demand Spike During COVID-19 Shutdown Written 21 July 2020
A Wing Hummingbird drone carries a package as it leaves its launch site during a delivery flight demonstration in Blacksburg, VA, 7 August 2018. | Associated Press-©
Reuters reports that Alphabet Inc. subsidiary Wing is using its UAVs in Christiansburg, Virginia, to deliver medicine and groceries to local residents. Wing “has seen a major uptick in interest amid the coronavirus pandemic, as emergency regulations keep people at home and complicate many of the simplest tasks.” Last year, Wing “became the first drone company to be approved as an air carrier by the federal government.” Wing head of Virginia operations Keith Heyde said that worldwide, Wing saw a 350% increase in demand from February to April.
Full Story (Reuters)