Online retailer Wildberries has begun testing the delivery of goods using unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This was reported in the press service of the united Wildberries & Rus company, specifying that the first flights were supported by the St. Petersburg Transport Committee and the Autonomous Non-Governmental Organization Federal Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FC BAS).
The pilot site was the company's logistics complex in Shushary, where the drone completed a complex route with several landing points. The drone delivered the parcel from the Wildberries "Shushary" sorting center to the order pick-up point on Polevaya Street, and then returned to the base on its own.
The company noted that a certified domestic UAS model capable of transporting small loads over short distances in urban conditions was used for testing.
According to Maxim Kim, head of the Wildberries PVZ development Department, unmanned delivery technology is considered as a promising direction to increase the speed and convenience of logistics.
"We are constantly looking for ways to make delivery faster and more reliable. The use of drones is one of the tools that is especially relevant for hard—to—reach regions," he stressed.
Wildberries is actively investing in the development of automated solutions and smart logistics technologies, testing not only drone delivery, but also robotic sorting systems. If the tests are successful, the company intends to scale the project to the regions of Russia.
