News & Analysis
The grid, reported.
Independent coverage of drone delivery regulation, operators, technology and business — updated daily.
OPERATORS
Swoop Aero: the Australian company taking medical drone logistics to the Pacific and Africa
Swoop Aero has built a medical logistics drone operation that operates across Pacific island communities and African health systems — markets where the distance and terrain advantages of drone delivery over ground transport are most acute. Here is what the company has built and why its model matters.
TECHNOLOGY
How far can a delivery drone fly? Understanding range, payload and the trade-offs
Range is the single number people most often ask about delivery drones. It is also one of the most misunderstood. This explainer breaks down what range actually means operationally, what limits it, and why small improvements in range have an outsized effect on the economics of a delivery hub.
OPERATORS
Aviant: the Norwegian operator building BVLOS medical logistics in Nordic conditions
Aviant is a Norwegian drone delivery company focused on medical logistics in the demanding operational conditions of Scandinavia. Its BVLOS authorisations from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority represent some of the most northerly commercial drone operations in Europe.
OPERATORS
DroneUp and the Walmart partnership: what US retail drone delivery looks like in practice
DroneUp has built the most extensive retail drone delivery operation in the United States through its partnership with Walmart. The model — operator as a service layer for a major retailer — is distinct from both the vertically integrated operator model and the infrastructure-only approach.
TECHNOLOGY
What’s inside a delivery drone: the key components explained
ANALYSIS
Ten things a decade of commercial drone delivery has demonstrated
TECHNOLOGY
What is drone delivery? A complete beginner’s introduction
ANALYSIS
The 5G question: how cellular network evolution changes drone delivery’s operating envelope
BUSINESS
How noise shapes community acceptance — and how operators are responding