Royal Mail starts trial of drone deliveries to explore ways to slash emissions
Drones are initially to be used to deliver PPE, Covid testing kits and mail to the Isles of Scilly
Image: Chris Gorman / Royal Mail
Don’t wait for your doorbell to be rung by the postman or postwoman for your next mail. Your parcel could soon drop from the sky!
Royal Mail has kickstarted a trial that uses drones to deliver personal protective equipment, Covid testing kits and other mail to the Isles of Scilly.
The project, which is backed by UK Research and Innovation and several other partners, is designed to investigate how the new technology can help Royal Mail cut further emissions related to its operations.
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The University of Southampton has worked with Royal Mail on a trial of fully autonomous scheduled drone flights. The trial will see the Company use Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flights to deliver Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), COVID testing kits and other mail to the Isles of Scilly.
The Government-funded project, which has been developed in partnership with DronePrep, Skyports, Consortiq Limited, 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.
Mail will be flown to the islands’ airport in St. Mary’s by the twin-engine Windracers ULTRA which was designed and built by engineers at the University of Southampton, led by Professor Jim Scanlan. The ULTRA can carry up to 100kg worth of mail at a time – equivalent to a typical delivery round.
A SOUTHAMPTON university will be launching drones as part of a new delivery service. Drones could be used to deliver Covid tests, health and safety equipment and other items to the remote Isles of Scilly. The University of Southampton has teamed up with the Royal Mail to trial the service between the UK mainland and the islands off Cornwall. The the Royal Mail said it will be first time an out-of-sight, autonomous scheduled drone flight has been used between the UK mainland and an island. Part of the trial will also include inter-island parcel deliveries across the Scillies. Parcels will be flown to the islands’ airport in St Mary’s by drone which can carry up to 220lb (100kg) of mail at a time – equivalent to a typical delivery round.
Drones to deliver post to Britain s remote islands to deal with bad weather
Royal Mail is this week trialling its first scheduled drone flights delivering mail from the mainland to the Isles of Scilly
10 May 2021 • 6:00am
An unmanned drone touches down in the Isles of Scilly
Credit: SWNS
The days of post to Britain’s islands being delayed because of fog could be drawing to a close after Royal Mail unveiled plans to carry out delivery by drone.
It will this week trial the first scheduled flights by drone from the mainland to the Isles of Scilly. A large drone will deliver PPE, Covid testing kits and other mail to the islands’ main airport before a smaller device will distribute them to posties.