MRM.COM : Watch our special film that shows the moment we made two UK firsts - delivering to remote communities via drones.

[POSTMAN]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2021/0 ... ones-first



Watch our special film that shows the moment we made two UK firsts – delivering to remote communities via drones.

Today, we’ve announced a trial of the first out-of-sight, autonomous scheduled drone flights between the UK mainland and an island. The trial will see us use Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flights to deliver protective equipment, Covid-19 testing kits and other mail to the Isles of Scilly.

On top of that, Royal Mail has also become the first to execute inter-island parcel deliveries across the Scillies, as part of the trial.

It follows us becoming the first nationwide UK parcel carrier to deliver a parcel for recipients via drones flight on Isle of Mull, in December last year.

Chief commercial officer, Nick Landon, said: ‘We are incredibly proud to find ways to support the more remote and isolated communities we serve. This is part of our constant drive to incorporate the best and most innovative technologies into our network.’

The Government-funded project, which has been developed in partnership with DronePrep, Skyports, Consortiq Limited, University of Southampton, Excalibur Healthcare Services and Windracers Limited, will initially have a particular focus on helping to fight the pandemic by delivering crucial PPE and testing kits to the islands’ most vulnerable and remote communities.

The Windracers drone is also able to accommodate mail of most shapes and sizes, enabling more general mail to be transported to the islands as part of the trial.

Parcels will be flown to the islands’ airport in St. Mary’s, by a UK-built twin-engine Windracers UAV, which can carry up to 100kg worth of mail at a time – equivalent to a typical delivery round. A smaller VTO drone, operated by Skyports, will then be used to transport items to a number of delivery points throughout the islands.

The autonomous flight route that the UAV takes involves being roughly 70 miles out of sight before it reaches its destination.

If the trial is successful, the technology will be considered by Royal Mail to help identify opportunities to support postmen and postwomen in delivering to very remote areas and addresses across the UK.

Isles of Scilly postwoman, Amy Richards, said: ‘There are some really remote areas on these islands, and this is a terrific way to help us reach them. It’s really important for us to do all we can to help all areas of the country stay connected – especially in these difficult times.’

We already have the lowest reported CO2e emissions per parcel amongst major UK delivery companies. The trial and potential introduction of low emission vehicles, such as UAVs, help us inform our long-term environmental strategy, and to meet its goals of delivering a cleaner future.

[SpacePhoenix]

They must have special permission as I though that it was illegal to fly any drones within 5Km of a runway

[pinstripe]

What if the package requires a signature? What if the recipient isn’t there to receive the package? What about poor weather? How many jobs will it cut? So many questions, which knowing RM, will not be answered or taken into consideration during the trial. This seems to be, in my own sceptical opinion, nothing more than a paper exercise so RM can say, “look at us, we’re trying to modernise”.

[FAB]

If the can’t get PDA’s to work- What possibly could go wrong?!

[Woody Guthrie]

It's only going to fly in one off situations where location makes access difficult. It's really just a publicity stunt.
Technology wise driverless vehicles are more of an imminent threat to jobs because you could basically shuttle the mail around the whole country in trucks without paying for drivers.

[oypostie]

Don't worry it will never go live. Usual publicity stunt written all over it

[Alexei]

Can't wait to watch poor little G-WNDR try take off with a few 20kg drop bags thrown in the back of it

[POSTMAN]

Have some respect, they are creaming themselves on Linkedin and they have been nominated for an award for their work in supporting the drone community at the drone awards place thingy...
https://airwards.awardstage.com/public/ ... ryId=56987

[POSTMAN]

Simon 'Droning on' Thompson

we should have some news on our Drone development soon - I am not sure if it will help you and the team - but it will certainly help others…
they can fly in “swarms” like birds - so the more weight, the more drones…

[Dorset Plodder]

I know we're already treated as "Drones" but this is laughable.

I presume they'll discover that they're going to need a Bigger Drone ... to deliver all those 20kg bags of Birdfood and the Mega Sized boxes ... with a Birthday Baloon in them! FFS!

[clashcityrocker]

It didn't work too well when they tried to deliver a parcel in Brentford.

[postslippete]

Delivering those pizza leaflets today I was dreaming about a pizza delivery by drone

But its really a pie-in-the-sky idea

[SpacePhoenix]

Delivering those pizza leaflets today I was dreaming about a pizza delivery by drone

But its really a pie-in-the-sky idea

Really?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoP1lvgGLys

[scoobymunster]

Does anyone recognise the 'lorry driver'? His coat looks brand new, actor?

[postslippete]

Delivering those pizza leaflets today I was dreaming about a pizza delivery by drone

But its really a pie-in-the-sky idea

Really?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoP1lvgGLys

Oh cool, I thought there was regulations on using drones but I guess its on a knead-to-know basis