They have not yet begun to operate at full capacity and are already showing us muscles and the future: they are cargo drones, increasingly capacious and solid, ready for mass deliveries with a single flight.
Autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) company EHang has unveiled the new logistics version of its flagship delivery drone, the EHang 216, aimed at short- and medium-range aerial logistics in urban and rural areas.
The new drone has a truly record-breaking payload capacity: almost 200 kg of materials and products to be delivered.
The company says that this is the largest payload for a delivery drone.
Fewer people and more objects will fly
According to a Frost & Sullivan report, the global logistics market for urban air mobility could reach $ 46 billion by 2023, an estimated annual growth rate of 740%.
The EHang 216L is built to help its developer consolidate its market share with its impressive payload capacity. 8 arms and 16 independent motors and propellers for a delivery drone that won't remain alone among the heavyweights for long.
What can it do?
The EHang 216L could be particularly useful for moving agricultural equipment and products in mountainous areas with poor road conditions.
The delivery drone can also be used to deliver materials to oil platforms and urgent emergency supplies to a huge variety of crisis situations.
As payload and flight range increase, air logistics is expected to be one of the first commercial applications of AAVs. For two very simple reasons, which I summarize as follows: more efficiency and fewer emissions than conventional land transport.
With the advent of faster connectivity and advanced artificial intelligence systems, a delivery drone will be able to optimize energy and time. He will carry dozens of packages with him, and organize them into routes, delivering in series without almost ever stopping.
In the not too distant future, delivery by drones could be the main mode of goods delivery.
