A Toronto-area company looking to provide drones for package deliveries to remote communities has identified Thunder Bay as one potential base, and could be conducting tests in the city this year.
Drone Delivery Canada is evaluating the use of drones carrying items weighing up to 10 pounds, with a wingspan of up to 90 inches, and capable of transporting packages a straight-line distance of 100 kilometres.
Company CEO Tony Di Benedetto says DDC is working with various stakeholders to develop a platform for the service, and is conducting daily tests in the Kitchener-Waterloo area with commercial partners such as Staples and NAPA Auto Parts.
The next step is to expand testing in the coming weeks to Canada's first Transport Canada-approved drone test range, in Alberta, where the focus will be on delivery capabilities beyond line-of-sight.
Di Benedetto told tbnewswatch.com there is a broad range of products that could be shipped by drones.
"Pretty much limitless," he said, adding that "general commodities, food, medical, anything that a courier company would ship."
DDC would use Transport Canada-certified drone pilots to keep a close eye on missions.
"The units are working on a pre-determined flight path, from Point A to Point B. Our staff are simply overseeing the missions. If they need to intervene and take control of a unit, that's part of our platform and they can jump in."
Di Benedetto said the company is "starting in Canada's back yard, in more rural communities, and Thunder Bay is definitely one of the communities that hit our radar screen in discussions with some clients. Thunder Bay as a hub, and there's a variety of little communities around there, and we potentially see this as a possibility using this technology and that geography."
DDC believes it is the only Canadian company currently working on the concept at such an advanced stage.
Di Benedetto expects to begin commercial operations early next year, but "you might see some test flights in your geography in the middle to later part of this year."
Describing the proposed service as "a railway in the sky," he said it's fortunate that the federal and provincial governments are technology and innovation-driven.
"We do see the possibilities, the applications, as does the government, in these remote areas where obtaining goods is a challenge."
