In 2015, after some corporate restructuring, Alphabet Inc. became the parent company for Google and several Google subsidiaries.  One of these subsidiaries is Wing, a branch of the conglomerate that specializes in the development of drone technologies.  The main goal of Wing is to develop a drone that is capable of delivering small packages directly to consumers and creating the logistical framework to support such an endeavor.

They began by building a drone that can carry a small package and travel safely through neighborhoods.  The drone has a 3′ wide wingspan and 14 top mounted propellers.  It is powered by rechargeable batteries and can reach altitudes of 400′.  The drone weighs about 11lbs and can carry an additional 3 lbs in cargo.  The package is tethered to a cord in a specifically designed parcel off the bottom of the drone.  The drone is equipped with a plethora of redundancy safety features, GPS, and cameras for smooth operations.  Once Wing had finalized a drone that was compliant  with all FAA regulations it was time to start testing the logistical applications of the drone.

Testing of Wing’s delivery system began in Canberra, Australia.  All customers had to do was download Wing’s app, scroll through the list of participating merchants, choose from the items available for delivery, and order.  According to Wing’s website, “It’s similar to how you order things today, but faster and more eco-friendly, using the sky.”  Once your order has been placed you can track it’s progression through the app.  When it reaches you the drone slowly lowers that package to you and unclips from the tether automatically.  So far Wing has run over 80,000 test flights, and 3,000 parcel deliveries in Australia with a record time of 2 minutes and 47 seconds, all with zero emissions. 

After the success in Canberra, Wing expanded to begin making deliveries in Helsinki, Finland.  In Helsinki Wing is currently operating with 2 food vendors, but they plan to add more vendors soon.  Meanwhile, Wing is gearing up to begin a trial program in the United States as well.  The trial is set to take place in Christiansburg, Virginia in partnership with FedEx and Walgreens.  This trial will be a first of it’s kind in the United States where logistical safety issues have held back the process for some time now.

While this will not be the first drone delivery program in the US as UPS and Matternet have successfully been running one for some time now, it will be the first to deliver goods directly to consumers.  UPS and Matternet strictly deliver medical supplies between hospital campuses that are checked in by trained individuals.  Wing’s program is set to be much like the ones operating in Australia and Finland.  Customers will be able to go to the app to purchase small goods like over the counter medications, snacks, and personal care items from Walgreens.  Because this is just a trial period, there will be no delivery fees.

Wing has yet to say how many people will have access to this trial in Virginia, though it will be a small selection of the community.  It also isn’t clear how many daily runs the drone will be able to make.  As of now Wing will only be flying one drone at a time for this trial.  However, they did announce that they already have another vendor lined up once the test period gets under way. 

Wing is set to begin testing their drones in Virginia shortly.  As for now, they are requesting locals to sign up to their app for up to date information.  Wing’s CEO James Ryan Burgess said, “We still have a ways to go before it’s the norm in our transportation networks.  There’s a lot of sensitivity and concern about the technology, understandably.  This will be the most advanced drone delivery trial in the US.  We’re very excited about the promise.”  Currently, Wing has no plans to expand to other areas in the US.  That is until the trials in Virginia run flawlessly.