Drones in China deliver packages, even a birthday cake
In China, robots can cook and serve food while serenading customers, are being built into a”million robot army” to revolutionize manufacturing, and are a cornerstone of youth education. So it would make sense that in the Chinese city of Dongguang aerial drones are now delivering packages.
Spotted in the city — located in the southern province of Guangdong with a population of roughly 8 million — by a Weibo user who posted the photos on the Chinese social network, the drones are eight-rotor helicopters, or octocoptors, operated by the delivery service SF Express, whose logo was conveniently plastered on the side of the drone. The company admitted to running trials of the service after media reports picked up on the photos.
Because it is only in the testing phase, SF Express drones are not in widespread deployment, yet. However, it’s estimated by Chinese media reports that the octocoptor can fly roughly 328 feet in the air, deliver packages within two meters of customers, and withstand a load of approximately 6.5 pounds.
