DHL Starts Drone Delivery Trial With 'Parcelcopter'
Logistics firm DHL is using a drone to fly parcels to the German island
of Juist, in what it says is the first time an unmanned aircraft has
been authorised to deliver goods in Europe.
Its
drone - the "parcelcopter" - can fly at up to 65 km (40 miles) an hour.
It will deliver medication and other urgently needed goods to the
car-free island of Juist, off Germany's northern coast, at times when
other modes of transport such as flights or ferries are not operating.
If the trial is successful, the craft could be used to deliver such packages to other remote areas or in emergencies.
However,
critics of delivery drones have raised concerns over privacy and
whether the technology is safe, saying drones could hit other aircraft
or even people.
For the Juist project, Deutsche Post has received
permission from the German transport ministry and air traffic control
authority for a restricted flight area that will be used only by its
parcelcopter. The drone will also not fly over any houses, a spokeswoman
for DHL Parcel told Reuters.
The craft has four rotors, weighs
around 5 kg and can carry loads of up to 1.2 kg. Its flight is
completely automated, although it will be monitored from the ground and,
depending on weather conditions, the 12 km trip to Juist will take
15-30 minutes.
Flights to the North Sea island, home to around
1,700 people, will start from Friday, weather permitting, and will
continue until the middle or end of October, the spokeswoman said.
