Drones are continuously innovating the logistics industry. They are getting quieter, faster, efficient, and a lot safer. Google’s Wing has already begun commercial drone delivery in Australia. However, drone delivery is relatively new to Israel. On October 15th, 2021, three drones carried out a demonstration by delivering sushi and beer. The demonstration, headed by aviation company High Lander, took place in Tel Aviv.
Advancing Drone Technology in Israel
The drone delivery demonstration was part of a $6 million public-private initiative to boost drone technology in Israel. Three drones hovered over three landing pads before touching down on a beachfront in Tel Aviv. One drone carried three hauled cans of beer, while the other two carried sushi. High Lander was the company that organized the demonstration and it has managed to garner some attention.
Israel has been a leader in military drone technology. The country’s Kamikaze drones are well known. Also, Israel’s military drone program has received criticism from Palestinians, who claim the drones pose a threat to civilians in the Gaza Strip. The military drones have been used to drop tear gas in the disputed area in 2018.
However, this initiative is pushing for the advancement of the commercial drone industry. Daniella Partem, who leads the initiative at the Israel Innovation Authority, hopes that thousands of delivery drones could someday operate autonomously in dense urban locations.
“Our goal is to create a competitive market in Israel, not dominated by one company,” she said. “If we manage to remove vehicles from the roads to the air, we can affect traffic, we can reduce air pollution… we can create a better, safer environment for the delivery of goods,” Daniella added.
The Future of Drone Delivery in Israel
Demonstrations like these have turned a lot of heads towards the commercial drone industry in Israel. While similar concepts are in the pipeline, delivery trials are underway. Under this initiative, drones have been conducting mock deliveries by landing on landing pads placed across the city.
“We can see the flight paths where the drones take off and land, their heights, their batteries, and all sorts of problems that we need to resolve so that the drones arrive as they should,” Hadas Aharoni, 22, a controller with the Airwayz drone company who monitors autonomous drones, stated.
Following this trend, an ice cream chain called The Golda has started a pop-up beachside shop in Tel Aviv. Customers can scan a QR code at the shop and a drone will arrive with the ordered ice cream in under 10 minutes. Therefore, as awareness surrounding the applications of drone technology in logistics increases, the industry hopes to make strides.
