SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – The discussions between the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and a company that develops aerial systems for light cargo delivery, aim to place Campinas (São Paulo state) as the first Brazilian city to have food delivered by drones.
The company SMX Systems/Speedbird Aero, a drone developer, is a partner of iFood, a group planning to use the new mode as of September. The delivery company expects to reduce the service time, typically 15 – 20 minutes, to two and a half minutes, or 150 seconds.
ANAC acknowledges that it has met with the company SMX Systems/Speedbird Aero. However, the agency has not yet received a formal request for complex testing (in inhabited areas, for instance), which hinders a specific deadline for the beginning of deliveries. Besides, it stated that there is no similar service operating in Brazil.
How is it going to work?
Two routes in the city are planned. One within the area of a shopping mall, to take orders from the food court to a distribution center, and another for direct delivery to the final consumer.
The second use, to a destination not yet confirmed, includes taking the order directly to the customer’s door. There are two major obstacles to this type of delivery. Each different route needs to be authorized by DECEA, and not every location is suitable for landing the aircraft which, according to the developer, needs a 5-meter diameter area point for landing.
The equipment
The drone developed for food deliveries is 100 percent Brazilian. It is 1.4 meters in diameter; it is fitted with six engines, two GPS devices, works with 4G technology and features parachutes for emergencies.
According to the developer, the aircraft that will be used in Campinas is equipped to carry up to 2 kg per flight, and the transportation box has temperature monitoring.
In “ideal conditions”, the drone has a flight capacity of 30 minutes, at speed ranging from 36 to 38 km/h, within a maximum radius of five kilometers. Certain weather conditions are required for the drone to operate.
Speedbird also developed the software for navigating and operating the drone and performs the entire flight automatically. Due to legislation, however, it is monitored by an operator, who can intervene if necessary.