Logistical circumstances created by the global pandemic, COVID19, have shown the world two things about drone deliveries. The first is that they can be successfully and safely done. The second is that for many parts of the world, drone deliveries are now more important than ever. For many people living in remote areas, or those with compromised mobility, being able to have access to drone deliveries means they have access to the basics they need to survive. This could be anything from food and water, to life saving medical supplies.

And while the validity of drone delivery programs has been trialed in urban and rural environments, there are still a few hurdles left to pass. The main one is safe BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) autonomous operations. In March of 2022, ORKID announced that they were partnering up with Unifly to begin trials of BVLOS delivery operations.

In 2021 Santiago and Diego Pinzon, and Andres Uribe founded ORKID in Bogota, Columbia. The trio’s combined expertise in aerospace engineering, finance, and computer science impressively positioned them in the drone delivery race in only a year. ORKID uses a top of the line 3D printing process to create the ORKID 260 Light, 01 Heavy, and OCTO. All of the drones are fully electronic with long lasting, quick swapping batteries. ORKID applies the highest levels of security for their drone systems. “Our communication system uses 4 different sim cards for reliability and redundancy,” states the company website. A bespoke cargo bay can be made for each of the drones to fit the specific needs of the customer. The payload capabilities of the drones are 8 liters for the 260 Light, 32 liters for the 01 Heavy, and 16 liters for the OCTO.

The company uses a cloud based software system that means they can operate any type of drone, be it an off the shelf drone or one of the three units they have custom designed. “Our software can control any type of drone, giving us the flexibility to serve different types of missions,” ORKID explains. “Our cloud based software enables real time monitoring of each drone, and execution of autonomous BVLOS missions with strategic route planning, obstacle avoidance and automation. One operator can control and monitor up to 10 drones.” To progress their drone delivery platfom to a fully vetted operation, ORKID is trusiting Unifly for thier management skills.

Based out of Antwerp, Belgium, Unifly has been developing Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) protocols since 2015. Just as manned aircraft are coordinated and monitored by Air Traffic Control, drones can safely operate via Unifly’s UTM technology. “This was the last piece of the puzzle we needed to guarantee and showcase safe operations to the different civil aviation authorities in LATAM,” Diego said. “Unifly’s vast experience in aviation and their unique solutions are going to help us comply with regulatory requirements, become ready for commercial operations, and scale our business.” ORKID’s trial with Unifly was set to begin in late March at the Tenjo Valley near Bogota, Colombia. The trials will be under the supervision of the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority, the Colombian Air Force, and the Ministry of Transport. ORKID is hopeful that this will position them to begin mass drone deliveries throughout Columbia, followed soon after in the rest of Latin America and beyond.