Delivery Drones are operated autonomously or remotely, with operators potentially overseeing multiple drones at once. In several examples across the world, drones are being used for delivering time-sensitive items, such as medicine, or deliveries that would be difficult with traditional vehicle-based services
Contactless Delivery, in Countries like Canada and USA Appear to be Booming and Drones are Playing a Vital Role in Ensuring Businesses and Customers Interact as little as Possible.
Drones are taking to the Skies in Unprecedented Numbers during the Pandemic to Deliver Essential Goods and Medicines to Communities Under Lockdown. At the Heart of the Boom is Location Technology, the Crucial Element of Autonomous Flight.
What are the Upcoming BVLOS Experiments ?
At least 10 consortia, including Reliance-backed Asteria Aerospace, Nandan Nilekani-backed ShopX, Spicejet, and Google-backed Dunzo, among others have been permitted by the DGCA to carry out “beyond visual line of sight” (BVLOS) drone projects in designated airspaces across the country.
This is being done under an effort by the DGCA to formulate
regulations around commercial BVLOS drone operations, and the regulator
is looking at these projects to gain insights into such operations.
These consortia have until September to submit a proof of concept to the
DGCA about learnings from their BVLOS projects.
These BVLOS operations are likely to begin the middle of July, subject to easing of COVID-19 restrictions. “India is looking at the operations as a way of fast tracking its policy and preparing the local industry for a major push into the drone services segment globally.
Confusion Over Delivery via Drones ?
* No drone will be allowed to carry any payload unless specified by the DGCA [Clause 36],
* Nothing can be dropped from a drone except in a manner and procedure specified by the DGCA [Clause 38]
These clauses also seemed to be in conflict with another rule in the draft which talked about licenses for UTM service providers. UTMs are a key requirement for carrying out BVLOS operations, such as delivery or remote surveillance, and are essentially an air traffic management system for drones, except that they are an automated tool. Current drone regulations in India, which were enacted in December 2018, do not allow for BVLOS operations.
Once the BVLOS projects are over and the DGCA has enough clarify over the safety, security, and viability of such operations, it can possibly exempt them from these clauses.
The draft Unmanned Aircraft System Rules, 2020, which were notified last week have also proposed establishing dedicated drone ports and corridors in “permitted areas if warranted by the nature and requirements” of drone operations, although separate licenses will have to be obtained from the regulator for those, yet unspecified, permitted areas. A drone can capture images as long as it is not flying over non-permissible areas, and after “ensuring the privacy of an individual and his property”, per the draft. Stakeholders can submit their comments to the draft until July 3.
Contactless Delivery, in Countries like Canada and USA Appear to be Booming and Drones are Playing a Vital Role in Ensuring Businesses and Customers Interact as little as Possible.
Drones are taking to the Skies in Unprecedented Numbers during the Pandemic to Deliver Essential Goods and Medicines to Communities Under Lockdown. At the Heart of the Boom is Location Technology, the Crucial Element of Autonomous Flight.
Food & Medicine Delivery Companies Using Drones in India?
After a circular rolled out by the DGCA in May 2019 which invited companies to participate in a testing environment for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and test out their drones, the regulator asked the seven shortlisted companies back then — Zomato, Swiggy,Tata Advanced Systems, Honeywell, Zipline, Dunzo and Redwing to provide additional technical details regarding their BVLOS application.
What are the Upcoming BVLOS Experiments ?
At least 10 consortia, including Reliance-backed Asteria Aerospace, Nandan Nilekani-backed ShopX, Spicejet, and Google-backed Dunzo, among others have been permitted by the DGCA to carry out “beyond visual line of sight” (BVLOS) drone projects in designated airspaces across the country.
These BVLOS operations are likely to begin the middle of July, subject to easing of COVID-19 restrictions. “India is looking at the operations as a way of fast tracking its policy and preparing the local industry for a major push into the drone services segment globally.
Confusion Over Delivery via Drones ?
* No drone will be allowed to carry any payload unless specified by the DGCA [Clause 36],
* Nothing can be dropped from a drone except in a manner and procedure specified by the DGCA [Clause 38]
These clauses also seemed to be in conflict with another rule in the draft which talked about licenses for UTM service providers. UTMs are a key requirement for carrying out BVLOS operations, such as delivery or remote surveillance, and are essentially an air traffic management system for drones, except that they are an automated tool. Current drone regulations in India, which were enacted in December 2018, do not allow for BVLOS operations.
Once the BVLOS projects are over and the DGCA has enough clarify over the safety, security, and viability of such operations, it can possibly exempt them from these clauses.
The draft Unmanned Aircraft System Rules, 2020, which were notified last week have also proposed establishing dedicated drone ports and corridors in “permitted areas if warranted by the nature and requirements” of drone operations, although separate licenses will have to be obtained from the regulator for those, yet unspecified, permitted areas. A drone can capture images as long as it is not flying over non-permissible areas, and after “ensuring the privacy of an individual and his property”, per the draft. Stakeholders can submit their comments to the draft until July 3.