According to CNET, drone startup Zipline recently tested its drone at the foothills of the western part of the Central Valley in California. The company had previously shown some technologies but now reveals its faster new drone model - from 68 miles per hour increased to 80 miles per hour. In addition, it has an upgraded transportation system that can handle 500 flights a day.
Zipline was founded in 2011 by a group of engineers from SpaceX, Boeing, Google and Willow Garage and launched a drone-based logistics service as early as 2016. As of now, Zipline has raised approximately $43 million in funds. Zipline's investors include Visionnaire Ventures, which led the Round B financing, and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, founders of Yahoo Yang Zhiyuan, Sequoia Capital, and Anderson Horowitz and so on.
Amazon, Google, Wal-Mart, and other companies are also testing drones, but Zipline is now able to use drones to deliver blood from bases to Rwandan hospitals. The company’s second launch site in Rwanda is nearing completion to expand the delivery of vaccines and drugs and plans to start operations in Tanzania.
When the road was flooded or the clinic was on the island, delivery drones could quickly reach medical supplies 50 miles away. So Keenan Wyrobek, founder and director of engineering at Zipline, believes drones will also come to the United States. Wyrobek said that Zipline’s drone will be able to integrate with existing air traffic control systems in the future. At present, drones are operated by humans remotely. If there is a problem, they can change course, but in Rwanda, there are 7,000 flights that do not require any action based on the requirements of the air traffic controller.
The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States is wary of approving drone operations, but Zipline hopes to find a place to operate in the United States. This is part of the eight proposals made by states and local governments to launch drone delivery plans.
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