The Swiss are known for their efficiency, and what’s more efficient that using robots to do a task as repetitive and simple, yet as absolutely essential as delivering mail? That’s exactly what the Swiss Post is trying to do by teaming up with Matternet to create a drone-based mail delivery system. Just think, this is the kind of innovative stuff we could see in the United States if it weren’t for the FAA’s regulations.
The Swiss postal service, Swiss Post, is going to attempt drone deliveries for the first time ever using Matternet, a company working on perfecting drone-based delivery systems. The first tests will happen in Switzerland this summer as proof of concept to “to clarify the legal framework, consider local conditions and explore the technical and business capabilities of the drones.” That’s right: robots are about to deliver our mail. The first Matternet drone, called the ONE, can transport items up to 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) over 20 kilometers – or about 12 miles – on one charge. The company hopes to use the drones to deliver light packages like medicine, documents, and parts. Founded by Andreas Raptopoulos and Paola Santana, the company was rooted in Raptopoulos dream of building a flying car. After attending the Singularity University summer program at NASA Ames Laboratory, he founded Matternet to bring quadcopters – on a smaller scale – to places where they were needed most. They have raised $2.2 million in seed capital from investors including Flextronics, Scott Banister, and Nas.
