The idea of having drones drop off a package or an order is not a new one at all, far from it, but it is definitely an idea that is gaining traction all over the world, and with numerous vendors such as Rakuten also jumping aboard the bandwagon to see it become reality. Over in the Land of the Rising Sun, the Japanese government alongside companies have kicked off a trial of a drone home delivery service in the Chiba Prefecture.
These drones have been pre-loaded with packages, where they make their flight between condominiums, commercial facilities as well as adjacent parks. This is a joint project that sees the involvement of the central government, the city of Chiba, research institutions and companies such as e-commerce giant Rakuten Inc., and the city of Chiba happens to have been designated as a special deregulation zone in order for such trials to run.
Future trials will include having the drones pick up packages from a warehouse that is currently beside Tokyo Bay, making their way to Chiba’s Mihama Ward that is approximately 10km away. While it will be some time before drone deliveries end up as commonplace, it would be best to test such delivery systems out as much as possible before implementation.
Filed in . Read more about Drones. Source: japantimes.co.jp