Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Drones

DoorDash and Flytrex launch drone delivery in Dallas-Fort Worth

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DoorDash and Flytrex have launched their drone delivery service in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, expanding upon a successful pilot program.

Customers in parts of Little Elm and Frisco can now order food from dozens of local and national restaurants, including from Papa Johns King Road location and The Brass Tap, between 8:00am and 9:30pm, with delivery via Flytrex’s autonomous drone fleet.

This marks Flytrex’s first third-party app integration, enabling customers to place orders directly through the DoorDash app. Eligible customers can select drone delivery at checkout, with orders prepared at restaurants and flown to their homes. [Read more…] about DoorDash and Flytrex launch drone delivery in Dallas-Fort Worth

Arrive AI partners with Skye Air Mobility in India

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Arrive AI, an autonomous delivery network, has a new global customer: Skye Air Mobility, India’s rapidly expanding hyperlocal delivery platform. The company says the partnership marks a “pivotal moment, scaling secure, automated delivery solutions across one of the world’s most dynamic markets”.

Skye Air currently offers 7-minute drone delivery to customers in Gurugram, part of NCR (National Capital Region) of Delhi and Bengaluru (Karnataka), making about 6,000 deliveries per day. The partnership entails co-developing mailboxes and installing across the country.

Arrive AI shall begin from the initial 60 units being placed in Gurugram followed by other cities as per Skye Air’s expansion plan. Both companies expect to have 500 Arrive Points across Skye Air’s service areas in the future, serving a New Delhi population exceeding 33 million. [Read more…] about Arrive AI partners with Skye Air Mobility in India

Voliro raises $23 million to develop ‘aerial robotics for infrastructure’

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Voliro, a Swiss pioneer in aerial robotics – or drones, as some would call them, announced an extension of its Series A round, bringing the total raised to $23 million.

Voliro’s Series A extension saw new participation from noa venture capital and the addition of a debt facility from UBS.

The original round was led by Cherry Ventures. This additional capital will accelerate the development and global deployment of Voliro’s “autonomous aerial inspection robots” – designed to modernize infrastructure maintenance, enhance industrial safety, and address growing workforce shortages.

Built on a patented tiltable-rotor design and equipped with interchangeable sensor payloads, the Voliro T platform represents a new standard in intelligent, contact-based inspection. [Read more…] about Voliro raises $23 million to develop ‘aerial robotics for infrastructure’

Drone delivery: Navigating the path from high-flying hype to last-mile reality

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An in-depth analysis of the current technological landscape, regulatory roadblocks, and the commercial scalability of autonomous aerial delivery

The promise of near-instantaneous delivery via autonomous drones has captivated investors and engineers for over a decade.

Initial forecasts, often fuelled by blockbuster tech announcements, painted a futuristic picture of skies buzzing with packages, a vision that has been stubbornly slow to materialize. This has led many to question the ultimate viability of the concept.

Is drone delivery, then, finally poised to overcome its significant hurdles and become a mainstream logistics solution, or is it destined to remain a niche, novelty service? [Read more…] about Drone delivery: Navigating the path from high-flying hype to last-mile reality

DoorDash expands drone delivery partnership with Wing in Charlotte

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DoorDash, a popular platform for local commerce such as food ordering, and Wing, a developer of residential drone delivery, are introducing drone delivery to Charlotte, North Carolina for the first time.

This marks the latest milestone in their ongoing partnership focused on bringing faster, more efficient, and sustainable food delivery options to customers.

Starting today, eligible DoorDash customers within about four miles of The Arboretum Shopping Center in southern Charlotte can order from a selection of local and national restaurants and choose to have their items delivered by drone. [Read more…] about DoorDash expands drone delivery partnership with Wing in Charlotte

HHLA Sky merges with Third Element Aviation

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HHLA Sky, a mobile robotics company, is to merger with drone manufacturer Third Element Aviation. This union between long-standing partners establishes a dominant European provider specializing in the automation of drone and mobile robot fleets on an industrial scale.

The merger integrates the award-winning mobile robot management software and portfolio of HHLA Sky with Third Element Aviation’s advanced drone technology.

The company, which will continue to operate under the name HHLA Sky, positions itself as Europe’s leading provider of integrated drone solutions and sets new standards in the automation and networking of drone systems. [Read more…] about HHLA Sky merges with Third Element Aviation

Matternet receives approval to operate its drone in Saudi Arabia

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Matternet, the developer of an urban drone delivery system, has been approved by Saudi Arabia to operate its M2 drone within the region – it is the first drone operator to receive such approval.

The approval was granted by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) after the agency determined that the M2’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Type Certification issued by the US met GACA airworthiness standards.

Matternet’s M2 drone delivery system became the first to achieve FAA Type Certification in September 2022. [Read more…] about Matternet receives approval to operate its drone in Saudi Arabia

Wing and DoorDash to launch drone delivery service at Dallas-Fort Worth malls

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Santa won’t be the only one flying through the skies with boxes full of goodies this holiday season.

Commercial drone specialist Wing is excited to announce that it’s partnering with DoorDash and Brookfield Properties in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, offering ultra-fast drone delivery from local malls just in time for the holidays.

Launching at Brookfield Properties’ Stonebriar Centre in Frisco and Hulen Mall in Fort Worth, this will be a first-of-its-kind service for American shopping malls. More than 50 merchants will be available for drone delivery through the DoorDash app.

Wing’s highly automated drones can deliver items and meals to doorsteps in as little as 15 minutes. The drones can navigate to the delivery location at a speed of 65 mph and a cruising height of about 150 feet before safely lowering the delivery to the ground. [Read more…] about Wing and DoorDash to launch drone delivery service at Dallas-Fort Worth malls

Palladyne AI achieves ‘key milestone’ with first small drone autonomous tracking flight

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Palladyne AI, a developer of artificial intelligence software for robotic and unmanned platforms in the industrial and defense sectors, says its Palladyne Pilot AI software platform has “achieved a key developmental milestone”.

The company says it conducted the successful first flight of a third-party small drone that demonstrated the ability to identify and prioritize terrestrial targets of interest and then interface with the drone’s autopilot software to follow the prioritized target autonomously.

Palladyne AI had previously successfully demonstrated the Palladyne Pilot AI platform’s ability to identify and prioritize targets on stationary nodes and with hovering drones. [Read more…] about Palladyne AI achieves ‘key milestone’ with first small drone autonomous tracking flight

RobotLAB expands drone portfolio with Vision Aerial partnership

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RobotLAB, a robotics integrator, has partnered with industrial drone innovator Vision Aerial to expand the availability of its industry-leading unmanned aerial systems to businesses, government agencies and higher education facilities.

RobotLAB was selected as Vision Aerial’s preferred US dealer partner because of its deep knowledge of the business and education technology landscape, as well as its successful deployment of more than 10,000 robots worldwide.

Under the agreement, RobotLAB will add eight Vision Aerial products to its robust robot portfolio, including the Drone Surveying System, Construction Drone System, Solar Inspection System and Agriculture Drone System. [Read more…] about RobotLAB expands drone portfolio with Vision Aerial partnership