Australia Post announced that it will be testing deliveries of small parcels via drones in a “closed-field trial” to provide online shoppers with another option to receive their orders, with a customer trial expected to follow later this year.
The postal operator said the trial represents an “important step in testing the new technology which will potentially deliver small parcels safely and securely to customers’ homes”. This would enable, in particular, faster transportation of time critical items like medication.
Australia Post Managing Director and Group CEO Ahmed Fahour said that parcel deliveries via by Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) are one of many innovations that the company is exploring as Australia’s e-commerce and online shopping sector has been growing at double-digit rates over the past five years.
“Australia Post has been adapting to changing customer needs and new technological advancements for over 200 years. This trial is another exciting example of how we’re looking to the future with emerging technologies. Today’s online shoppers expect to receive their purchase whenever and wherever they want. RPAs may be another way to help make our customers’ lives easier and build on our existing 24/7 Parcel Lockers and MyPost service. Customers who sign up to MyPost can elect to have their parcel safe-dropped, or sent to an alternate location as well as receiving SMS and e-mail notifications. “
“We’re excited to be the first major parcels and logistics company in Australia to test RPA technology for commercial delivery applications. We will put this innovative technology through its paces over the coming weeks and months to understand what it can deliver, how far it can travel, and ultimately, how our customers could receive a parcel,” Fahour explained.
For the trial, Australia Post is working closely with the local start-up ARI Labs, the developer of the technology, to demonstrate its reliability and applications.
The postal operator added: “RPA technology will continue to evolve over the coming years and while we're not sure what role it will play in our future, we do think there are opportunities for time-critical deliveries or where there are significant distances between the road and front door.”
The RPA trial builds on Australia Post’s recently announced $20 million innovation fund as part of which the company will directly invest in e-commerce businesses with ideas that will improve customers’ lives.
