Wing, a tech company and initiative from Alphabet’s X, has been testing the usage of drones for food and chemist supplies in Canberra, Australia. Recently, the company secured a warehouse in Mitchell that is to be used a base for the company’s operation. The company is looking forward to the establishment of a developed facility in the Canberran northern suburbs.
Wing plans to offer delivery services to local business setups and homes; expanding their services across Australia in the long run following the commercial establishment of their system.
The warehouse location was selected very carefully. The ACT Assembly had previously, just last week, launched an inquiry into Bonython trial, which was receiving backlash by the public due to noise, privacy concerns of the people, and a concern over legal regulatory authorities’ supervision over the trials.
Just last year, Wing tested its technology in Royalla and Googong, NSW. After that, they moved to launching trials in Bonything starting from July. The company faced constant opposition from the local residents who complained about noisy flights and their concerns regarding the regulation of these trials to the ACT government and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
“Like all other businesses, in order to operate from any site, Wing would need to meet all the necessary legal and regulatory requirements of the territory and/or Commonwealth” commented the chief executive of Wing, Mr. James Ryan Burgess. The Bonython trial, that ended in February had been, “an opportunity for government, business and the community to learn more about this new technology.”
Commenting on the public reaction to Bonython trials, Mr. Burgess had this to say, “Like any trial, there has been both positive and negative experiences from the community with the service and, following the advice provided to all MLAs, the government understands this has been taken on board by the Wing team,” the spokesman said, adding that Wing had delivered more than 2,000 packages to hundreds of participants in Bonython and the company was “exploring their drone design with a view to making them quieter.”
The Spokesman, Mr. Burgess, said that the company went over a multitude of locations before concluding at the Vickers Street in Mitchell as the most apt site for their warehouse. Wing’s permanent Canberra home would be “the first location of its kind with the world’s most advanced drone delivery service”.
Wing – Transforming the way goods are transported
A limited number of companies are participating in Wing’s trials for testing the feasibility of package delivery with drones – the Mexican food company Guzman y Gomez, Chemist Warehouse and Bunnings. Commenting on how more companies are expected to join Wing at the success of the trials prior to commercial launch for the people, Mr. Burgees said, “Our long-term location in Mitchell will allow us to work with a lot more local businesses, and we’ve talked to quite a few that are really excited about the opportunity,”