Drone Deliveries Set to Take Flight in Mountain View

Silicon Valley’s Matternet is gearing up to launch a drone delivery pilot program in Mountain View, California, according to a recent report from Mercury News. The drone company plans to introduce a service that will allow residents to order food, medicine, and other small parcels for drone delivery directly to their homes.

A New Era of Local Deliveries

Matternet, a drone technology company based in Mountain View, is preparing to launch its pilot program later this year. The exact start date is yet to be announced, but the company is already in talks with various merchants and vendors to partner for the service.

Andreas Raptopoulos, CEO and co-founder of Matternet, explained the vision behind the program: “We’re going to have initially one hub at our office, and we’re going to launch to serve a few residential neighborhoods around here. The key thing is that we want the city and the residents to want to adopt this service.”

How It Works

The drone delivery service will operate through a website and app where residents can place orders from local businesses. Initially, the drones will be limited to a 1.5-mile radius around the hub located on Ravendale Drive, just off Highway 237. However, the drones are capable of traveling within a 5-mile radius.

Matternet’s drones can carry packages weighing up to 4.5 pounds, making them suitable for food and medicine deliveries. The delivery process is straightforward:

1. Customers place an order through the app or website.
2. The drone picks up the package from the vendor.
3. It flies to the customer’s location.
4. The package is lowered via a cord while the drone hovers above ground.
5. The drone returns to its docking station at the hub.

During the pilot run, delivery services will be free for Mountain View residents.

Safety and Regulation

While the drones operate autonomously, they are monitored and controlled from a “mission control” center at Matternet’s headquarters. The company has secured certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to legally fly drones beyond the “line of sight.”

Jim O’Sullivan, vice president for regulatory strategy at Matternet, commented on the approval process: “It took us a long time (to get FAA approval), but I think once we got over that hurdle nationally, the follow-up effort to get it here in the Bay Area was not too hard. They know that we’re an experienced and safe operator, and that makes it easier to get over the hurdle.”

Community and Government Response

Mountain View Mayor Pat Showalter welcomed Matternet’s drones as an addition to the city’s high-tech services, noting their potential benefit for residents with mobility issues.

“It will certainly be helpful for residents, but we’ll be watching to make sure it’s done safely,” Showalter said.

Peter Katz, President of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, expressed enthusiasm for the service’s potential to reach underserved areas: “We are excited and looking forward to this kind of service coming here to serve residents who live in hard-to-reach places in the city.”

DroneXL’s Take

The introduction of Matternet’s drone delivery service in Mountain View marks a significant step forward in the integration of drone technology into everyday life. This development aligns with the growing trend of using drones for last-mile delivery solutions, offering potential benefits in terms of speed, efficiency, and environmental impact.

As the drone industry continues to evolve, we can expect to see more cities adopting similar programs. The success of Matternet’s pilot in Mountain View could pave the way for wider acceptance and implementation of drone delivery services across the United States, potentially revolutionizing the way we think about local deliveries and urban logistics.