Walmart wants to deploy drones in shops to collect groceries from consumers The US retail giant has been granted a patent on a system where drones transport products between shop departments. The technology would save present customers and staff a lot of metres.
The patent application shows that Walmart has thought about safety. In fact, the drones will not be flying over heads of the staff and customers present, but mainly over the shelves. Sensors should ensure that the drones avoid obstacles. In the shops, Walmart creates special landing zones, on which the drones can land safely.
Walmart has not yet responded to news of the patent application. The patent does not guarantee that Walmart will actually deploy the drones. However, the system seems more likely than the ambitious plans of parties like Amazon and UPS. They want to use drones to deliver parcels, but are bound by strict aviation regulations. Moreover, it appears difficult to find an answer to the safety issues surrounding drone delivery. Walmart also experimented with drone delivery in 2015. This method of delivery would be of particular interest to Walmart due to the presence of physical location. "There is a Walmart within five miles of seventy per cent of the US population. That creates a unique opportunity for serving customers with drones."
Editorial LogisticsProfs
Image: Flickr Walmartcorporate License: Creative Commons
