Fri, Feb 02, 2018
Protects The Company's Truck Launched Drone Package Delivery System
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a notice of allowance for the HorseFly Truck Launched Drone Package Delivery System patent application. The HorseFly system adheres to all current FAA safety regulations for drone package delivery, as each package is delivered within the delivery driver's "line of sight."
The HorseFly UAV Delivery System is a custom-built, high efficiency delivery UAV that is fully integrated with the Workhorse line of electric/hybrid delivery trucks. The HorseFly system conforms to FAA guidelines for UAV operation in the U.S. Most notably, being fully integrated with delivery trucks, the system is designed such that a driver or driver's assistant can maintain line-of-sight operation of the UAV delivery process.
The truck launched drone system is designed to assist a driver as follows:
- The truck delivery driver loads the package and launches the HorseFly drone
- The HorseFly drone autonomously launches from the roof of the delivery truck, gains altitude and proceeds to the delivery location
- At the delivery location the drone autonomously descends and the package is released
- The HorseFly drone returns to the delivery truck at a planned stop and autonomously redocks and recharges for its next delivery
- The system was first successfully tested in a rural delivery, launching the drone with package from atop a truck. The HorseFly system provides significant cost efficiency by eliminating extra miles of driving to deliver packages.
"We believe, as we proceed with the patent application process, that the HorseFly truck launched drone package delivery system will be the first major change to the last mile delivery process since the invention of the truck. The HorseFly system is designed to work with the truck driver to increase efficiency," said Steve Burns, Workhorse CEO. "We feel this is a game-changing moment in time that will innovate the way packages are delivered for many years to come."
(Source: Workhorse Group news release. Image provided)
More News
Also: Vertical Flight Society, NBAA Maintenance Conference, GA Honored, AMT Scholarship For the first time, students from Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Florida, campus took t>[...]
Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]
"The need for innovation at speed and scale is greater than ever. The X-62A VISTA is a crucial platform in our efforts to develop, test and integrate AI, as well as to establish AI>[...]
(FAA) Inspector Observed That Both Fuel Tanks Were Intact And That Only A Minimal Amount Of Fuel Remained In Each Analysis: According to the pilot, approximately 8 miles from the d>[...]
“Pyka’s Pelican Cargo is unlike any other UAS solution on the market for contested logistics. We assessed a number of leading capabilities and concluded that the Pelica>[...]
Airborne-Flight Training 05.09.24: ERAU at AIAA, LIFT Diamond Buy, Epic A&P
See All