SANDY SPRINGS (dpa-AFX) - UPS (UPS) said that it has begun testing the use of drones to make commercial deliveries of packages to remote or difficult-to-access locations, working together with drone-maker CyPhy Works.
Testing began on Thursday when the companies staged a mock delivery of urgently needed medicine from Beverly, Mass. to Children's Island, which is about three miles off the Atlantic coast. The drone flight advances an investment made by The UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund in CyPhy to gather information about drone uses and capabilities.
Last month, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), issued new rules that expanded the uses of drones in commercial applications. Operators must adhere to important safety regulations. UPS believes these new rules are a step in the right direction. With the recent appointment of Captain Houston Mills, UPS Airlines' director of safety, to the FAA's new drone advisory committee, UPS intends to keep working closely with regulators to stay on the right path.
UPS has been testing drones in warehouses to check high storage racks to confirm stock or available space. The company also is exploring the use of drones to deliver
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX