Last year Australia Post announced that they were looking into delivering mail by drones and would begin trials in 2016. It certainly looks like they did not waste any time because according to a recent announcement, it seems that the closed trials for drone postal delivery has begun in the country.According to Australia Post Managing Director and Group CEO Ahmed Fahour, “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 to make life easier for our customers.”
Fahour also notes that drone delivery could potentially be a new option for mail delivery in the future, where customers who sign up for MyPost can opt to have their mail safe-dropped to them via drones in addition to having their mail delivered to the 24/7 Parcel Lockers. This endeavor is possible thanks to Australia Post working with ARI Labs who has helped develop the technology they plan to use.
A customer trial is expected to follow later in the year, and presumably depending on how well-received it is, it could eventually take off in full-swing. Australia is definitely not the first country to trial such a system. Other countries such as Singapore, Switzerland, and France are testing out similar programs themselves.
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