Silicon Valley firm working on drone delivery

A Silicon Valley firm in the United States is taking advantage of the skies to explore commercial uses of drone technology, hauling goods and products over cities and disaster zones.

Matternet, based in Menlo Park south of San Francisco in California, has developed what it claims to be the world's first commercial drones capable of carrying up to one kilogram of weight and flying for 20 kilometers.

The startup was created in 2011 by Paola Santana and Andreas Raptopoulos, to work on a new mode of transportation that could carry light packages from one point to another, overcoming land obstacles.

"We thought that land transportation was becoming obsolete," Chief Operating Officer Paola Santana told Xinhua, "especially since it takes almost one million dollars to build one kilometer of a road and they need continuous maintenance."

However, Matternet had to wait until public opinion in the United States about these hovering devices turned favorable. In 2011, drones were thought solely as military technology used mostly for attacking or spying, and Santana and Raptopoulos decided to look at drones in a different light.

"We knew that they could be extremely helpful if put to less threatening use, since they can easily reach areas other forms of transportation can't, like rural areas or disaster zones, where trucks and cars can't get to sometimes," Santana said. Each drone has a small basket that can carry food, documents, medicines or any products that do not exceed the one kilogram weight limit.

To avoid the drone's infamous reputation back in 2011, the team focused on relief work and aid for developing countries, like Haiti and Bhutan, where Matternet helped the World Health Organization establish a delivery net for medicine between 180 clinics located in remote areas.

Thanks to the software developed by the company, Santana said that using their drones is as easy as downloading an application, or app, and writing the desired location. "The user doesn't have to be computer-savvy because the software calculates the best route according to weather conditions, possible obstacles in the way and if there are any other objects in the air space."

Each drone is completely autonomous and comes with a battery that can last for 20 kilometers, which is enough to supply the goods locally. If the route is longer, battery-changing stations can be set up along the way, though they need to be swapped manually. The team is now working on drones that can carry two sets of batteries to help the device fly up to 40 kilometers.

Though major U.S. companies Amazon and Google announced their intention to tackle the drone-delivery system, Santana believed that Matternet is way ahead. "We began working on it four years ago and we have already found solutions to the myriad of problems that can arise when it comes to drone delivery. Plus, we have been able to test the product multiple times thanks to our relief work. "

Matternet ONE, the company's first commercial drone, will be officially released this month and Matternet has already signed contracts with two European logistic and delivery companies to use their devices. "This will be the first time we see drones being used for delivery in cities," Santana said.

The company is blazing the trial for what its founders see as the future of delivery. Since the use of the skies for commercial purposes had been reserved up to now for airplanes, new regulations will have to be put in place for civilian aviation, especially when the devices fly much lower than aircrafts.

"We work closely with U.S. legislators and civilian aviation departments to shape new guidelines and regulations," Santana said, "because so far we are the only company that is developing drone delivery, so get a big say in the matter."

Commercial drone flying is still so new, Santana and Raptopoulos said, that many countries do not have any legislation on the matter. Santana said some countries, like Bhutan and Papua New Guinea, have flexible regulations, whereas commercial use of drones is still banned in the United States.

"U.S. laws stipulate that any drone that is not only for private use, like flying a drone as a hobby, is not allowed. But, the good news is that next year this regulation will be put up for review," Santana said. Endite