Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer for Swiss WorldCargo, said the two companies will begin proof-of-concept testing on a number of Matternet ONE drones this summer in Switzerland, with the ultimate aim of using them as an automated cargo delivery system. Evans reported that Swiss WorldCargo transports a surprising number of shipments below two kilogrammes, making them a good partner for the project.
Evans outlined the reasons for the industry not yet having adopted drone delivery as regulations, public acceptance and the fact that the industry is unprepared to deal with these issues.
"Swiss WorldCargo is keen to explore any new technology which promises to increase reach, speed or reliability while at the same time reducing costs or environmental impact," he said. "Likewise we are keen to explore new types of collaboration with partners in the supply chain, from technology partners like Matternet to service partners like Swiss Post."
Matternet ONE, the quad-copter development, has been designed to be light but still strong enough to carry a one kilogramme consignment a distance of 20 kilometres on a single battery charge. The drone has a centrally located payload, which is easy to load and unload, and can operate independently, following secure routes generated by Matternet's cloud-based software. Programming ensures the drone lands only on pre-registered landing pads that Matternet will supply to customers, which Andreas Raptopoulos, CEO of Matternet, says will prevent the UAV from getting lost and landing somewhere else.
"We are extremely excited to bring Matternet ONE to Switzerland, one of the most technologically-advanced countries in the world, and discover how this new transportation paradigm will bring tremendous value to our partners, their customers and the country at large," he commented.
