It feels like we have been on the cusp of the drone delivery revolution for years. Amazon's been trying for years to make the concept work on scale, so have Uber Eats, Domino's and more. With the announcement of DJI's latest cargo drone, the FlyCart 30 (FC30), a future where your next pair of running shoes will turn up on your doorstep delivered by a delivery drone draws ever so near.
Announced at CES 2024, the latest innovation from the best drone manufacturer is said to overcome traditional transport challenges with its large payload capacity, long operation range, high reliability, and intelligent features.
The DJI FC30 adopts a coaxial four-axis, eight-blade, multi-rotor configuration with carbon fibre propellers. It can achieve a 20 m/s maximum flight speed – much faster than those guys on electric bikes delivering your Chinese takeaway.
Furthermore, when in a dual-battery configuration, the FC30 can carry a 30 kg payload of 16 km. Not quite the range of a lorry if you ask us, but it might reduce the carbon emission of local delivery. Plus, it makes delivery, such as mountain transportation, offshore transportation, or emergency rescue transportation, more efficient and flexible.
In Cargo mode, the DJI FC30's payload is placed in a 70-litre case with weight and centre-of-gravity sensors to improve balance and safety. However, in Winch mode, payloads are carried by a winch crane (!) for delivery to areas without convenient landing sites. The winch system includes a 20m cable that can manually or automatically retract at 0.8 m/s and carry 40 kg.
There is no information on pricing or availability, which is understandable, considering the DJI FC30 is designed for industrial use and, therefore, won't be available to buy in shops. All we can do is hope that one day soon, we'll spot the parcel we ordered online lowered on a winch to our balconies. Wouldn't that be awesome?
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