The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) has tested a new drone- and robot-based cargo delivery system in partnership with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI).
The system links drones and robots to deliver cargo to locations requested by users, KASA said. It is a contactless transport system for heavy cargo of up to 40 kilograms, with drones and robots working together.
KASA began field testing in the Naepo area of South Chungcheong Province last year and has been conducting demonstrations in major regions including Jeju in March and April this year. In Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, field validation ran from the 5th to the 20th of this month. The demonstration was carried out 60 times: cargo departed by drone from a private logistics center in Sacheon and was delivered to the parking lot of Sacheon City Hall, after which robots handled final delivery to three destinations within the building, including the parcel storage area and the civil affairs office. Additional demonstrations will be conducted in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, starting late this month.
Existing drone delivery has faced difficulty reaching users directly because of the limited range drones can access. Taking into account weather conditions such as strong winds and extreme heat, as well as terrain and communications environments, KASA is verifying the performance and safety of the drone and robot systems based on various scenarios, including flights carrying heavy cargo over more than 15 days, and is working to address problems that arise. Building on its domestic testing experience, KASA plans to pursue overseas demonstrations in stages to secure a foothold for entering foreign markets.
"The drone- and robot-linked contactless delivery system is still in its early stages, and to raise its reliability we will diligently carry out field demonstrations centered on areas of potential demand and do everything we can to resolve the technical limitations," KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seok said.
