- Drone deliveries are becoming more ambitious
- A new South Korean trial delivered fried chicken to a remote island
- It's one of 80 test runs over the past month
Delivery drone programs are getting smarter and more ambitious: a trial scheme in South Korea has successfully delivered an order of fried chicken to a customer on the remote Biyang Island, via both a drone and an autonomous four-wheel robot.
The delivery drone traveled over three kilometers (1.86 miles) of ocean to reach its destination and transfer its delicious cargo, The Korea Times reports. There's no indication of how the takeaway meal actually tasted, but the "local resident" involved didn't lodge any complaints.
This is part of an extensive test by the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), backed by the government in South Korea. Around 80 such deliveries have been completed in the past month.
And Biyang Island is a particularly suitable challenge for this autonomous delivery technology. Not only is the location remote, it also features narrow alleys winding through the volcanic island, which traditional delivery vehicles would struggle with.
Ready to replace existing logistics
✔️드론과 자율주행 로봇 협업의‘문 앞 배송 서비스’ 제주 금능포구~비양도 일대에서 현장 테스트 수행!📦 최대 40kg 화물을 실은 드론이배송지 인근까지 비행하면,🤖 로봇이 물품을 전달받아문 앞까지 직접 배송합니다.#KASA #우주항공청 #한국전자통신연구원 #드론배송 #로봇배송 #제주도 pic.twitter.com/fXaV4e3LDlApril 24, 2026
While commercial drones typically carry payloads of around three kilograms in weight, the flying machines tested here can hold up to 40 kilograms, which means a lot of items can be packed together in a single delivery and sent off.
"It is rare to repeatedly test high-payload deliveries under such varied conditions," said KASA, as per the report in The Korea Times. "This technology is reaching a level where it can replace everyday logistics operations."
There's still plenty of work to do, however: commercial services won't be ready for another five years, as the technology is developed further, and concerns over privacy and safety are worked out with regulators.
Even if it's not ready for the masses yet, it's an exciting glimpse into the future of drone-robot deliveries, with the tech advancing rapidly — and it's those in the most remote, difficult-to-reach locations that are set to benefit the most.
