Drone delivery program proposed by the United Arab Emirates government

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Since Amazon announced its plans for a potential drone delivery service, the United Arab Emirates government has jumped on the tech-savvy bandwagon. The United Arab Emirates government has proposed a system that would implement a drone delivery system within the next year. These drones would deliver packages and official documents, such as licenses or ID cards, directly to people’s places of residence. To officiate the delivery, the unmanned aircraft would contain scanning technology to read the person’s fingerprint and/or retina, so it is verified that the packages are delivered to the correct people.

In a statement on Reuters, the minister of cabinet affairs in the UAE government, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, stated that “within a year from now we will understand the capabilities of the system and what sort of services, and how far we can deliver… eventually a new product will be launched across all the country.”

The battery-operated drone prototypes measure 18 inches wide with a white exterior and a UAE emblem. Onboard the drone are four rotors and a top hatch to store the packages. The drones have been analyzed through series of test rounds over the past few months in Dubai. Within the next year, UAE hopes to officially begin the delivery service.

Since the region in which the drones would be active is a desert climate, there are various factors that the government still needs to take into consideration. For example, the drone must be able to stay intact through natural disasters, dust storms, and the searing desert heat. Furthermore, the drone would have to withstand extremely high altitudes to avoid colliding with the many tall buildings.

The United Arab Emirates government has already employed drones in certain circumstances. Surveillance drones have been used to corral crowds at large events, have been tested to carry cameras, and to assist firefighters by carrying fire hoses.

Story via Reuters