DODO, a provider of data-driven logistics solutions, and Rossmann, a drugstore chain with a popular webshop, have launched a unique domestic pilot project for the drone delivery of home-ordered products. In the first phase of the trial, they are testing how quickly they can fulfil orders using drones - while guaranteeing safe delivery conditions. To this end, a test flight was carried out as a first step, and the time required to place the package on the drone and to take off and land was also assessed.
The first test flight in preparation for the delivery of home deliveries started from the Rossmann store in the Savoya Park shopping centre in District XI, with the destination in the suburban part of District III. The route was chosen to ensure that the drone flight would cover a relatively long distance and a varied geographical terrain, in preparation for the diversity of future deliveries by air.
The launch point and the delivery destination are 15 kilometers apart, but the drone flew over a longer distance as it flew part of the way over the Danube.
During the first test flight, the drone did not yet deliver a parcel, as the primary objective was to measure the time required for each phase of the work.
Particular attention was paid to creating safe conditions for delivery by air, with simulating the lifting of a parcel into the air. The route took a total of 14 minutes to fly, with an average altitude of between 20 and 50 metres and an average speed of 50 kilometres per hour, but the drone's flight speed is expected to be regulated by law in the future.
The simulation was performed with accurate results since the weight of the potentially delivered package does not significantly affect the flight speed of the drone. The test flight was carried out with the appropriate regulatory approvals. The use of unmanned aircraft and the transport of package by such means is subject to strict regulations at both national and EU level. Due to the nature of the activity and the take-off weight, it is a special category of operation and therefore requires a special operating licence.
“For DODO, smart logistics and innovation go hand in hand. With our own data-driven platform, we have become experts in urban last-mile delivery solutions over the last few years, but our development doesn’t stop there. We are constantly looking for new ways to shorten delivery times and reduce environmental impact. We see drone delivery as the next major step in the evolution of home delivery solutions. I am particularly pleased that we can work with an open-minded and goal-oriented partner like Rossmann in this development. I am confident that after the current test flight we are ready to deliver actual shipments by drone as soon as legislation permits” - said Dr. Károly Sáfár, DODO's representative in Hungary.
"Rossmann is Hungary's most dynamically growing drugstore-perfumery chain. For years, our customers have been able to easily order the products offered by our webshop online. It is extremely important for us to meet consumer needs at the highest possible level and to always be at the forefront of current trends and developments. I believe that drone home delivery could be one of the key solutions of the future in the field of e-commerce and in serving customer expectations, and DODO is the right partner to help us achieve this" - added Ádám Fürjes, Online Marketing Group Manager of Rossmann Hungary Ltd.
"Since 2017, we've been involved in private and industrial drone photography at a high level. Thanks to the wide range of applications for drones, we have also opened up to industrial services, a huge and fast-growing market. Our services have already proven themselves in numerous cases in construction and manufacturing companies, in the survey and scanning of factories, warehouses, plants, sites, logistics centres, solar panel installations, where we have helped to improve efficiency not only by documenting but also by detecting possible errors. It is a great pleasure for us to participate in such a unique initiative in Hungary, which could be the future of the entire commercial industry" - said Dominik Mák, CEO of Drónpilótád, the company involved in the drone test flight.
DODO, in collaboration with Rossmann, will continue the development of the drone home delivery in order to evaluate the results of the first tests, and as a next phase of the pilot project, both companies aspire to make another test flight, during which the drone will deliver a parcel between the start point and the destination. DODO has always been committed to sustainability by reducing the ecological footprint of its deliveries, and the implementation of drone delivery would be an important step forward in this area. With this way it'll be possible to avoid traffic jams and other factors that increase the environmental impact of deliveries due to road conditions. The smart logistics company is also present in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Slovakia with its AI-based courier services, so the lessons learned from the pilot drone flight in Hungary could be applied in these countries in the future.
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