Earlier this month American retail giant, Walmart applied to U.S. regulators for permission to test drones for home delivery, curbside pickup, and checking warehouse inventories — a sign that it’s planning to compete against Amazon in using drones to fill and deliver online orders.
For several months, Walmart has been conducting indoor tests of small unmanned aircraft system, and is now looking for the first time to test the machines outdoors. The company plans to use drones manufactured by China’s SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd.
But that’s not all the world’s largest retailer by revenue has been planning. In addition to having drones take inventory of trailers outside its warehouses and performing tasks aimed at making its distribution system all the more efficient, Walmart is asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for permission to research drone use in “deliveries to customers at Walmart facilities, as well as to consumer homes,” according to a copy of the application reviewed by Reuters.
Pictured is a Phantom 2 drone by China’s DJI company. Image source: Reuters.
Walmart’s move comes at the same time Amazon, Google, and other companies test drones, with the expectation that the FAA will establish rules for their widespread commercial use. According to FAA Deputy Administrator, Michael Whitaker, the agency expects to finalize regulations within the next few months. Although commercial drone use is currently illegal, companies are able to apply for exemptions.
The FAA will review Walmart's petition to determine whether it’s similar enough to earlier successful applications to be fast-tracked, or whether it would set a precedent for exemptions, requiring regulators to conduct a detailed risk analysis and seek public comment, said agency spokesman, Les Dorr. The FAA normally aims to respond to these kinds of petitions in 120 days. Amazon has said it would be ready to begin delivering packages to customers via drones as soon as federal rules allow.
According the FAA application, Walmart said it wants to test drones for taking stock of trailers and other items in the parking lot of a warehouse by using electronic tagging and other methods. Since a Walmart distribution center could have hundreds of trailers waiting in its yard, a drone could potentially be used to quickly account for what each one is holding. Along with that, the retailer would like to test drones for its grocery pickup service, which has expanded to 23 markets with plans to add another 20 markets within the next year.
Walmart spokesman Dan Toporek said the company would move quickly to deploy drones depending on its tests and regulations.
Source: Reuters
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