A big change is coming to the way Australia Post, the national postal services, will be delivering packages. Drones may be flying around and bringing the boxes as early as next year. A test use of the drones will begin in early 2016, Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour said in an interview with Australian Financial Review.
How will it Work?
As in the case of the Amazon Prime Air program, the drones will deliver packages of up to two kilograms to the local communities. GPS will be used to make sure packages are brought to the correct location. Each of the drones that Australia Post will utilize in the trial costs 10,000 dollars, Business Insider Australia reported.
The technology comes with a range of security features that will be used to ensure timely delivery. Backup motor engines will be available for optimal weight balancing. They will be needed in case the original installation fails.
The idea to deliver a package right on the client’s doorstep has always been a goal ecommerce companies have pursued. Hiring enough deliverymen to cover all areas that the company makes deliveries to, however, happens to be a costly endeavor. With drones, fast, traffic-free and stable transportation of the packages is possible.
Australia Post and the Upcoming Drone Test
“We’ve been talking to a major customer, an e-tailer, who would like to particularly deliver to regional and rural communities,” Fahour said during the interview.
He confirmed that smaller trials of the program are already underway but the new customer will make bigger trials possible in early 2016.
The postal services are predominantly focused on the safety of the packages and the recipient’s overall control over the deliveries. All clients want to know what is happening with their packages. Fahour confirmed that the drone deliveries will be controlled via a shared service. Using cloud-based information, all recipients will keep track of the delivery at all times.
Other Innovations at Australia Post
Australia Post is also considering the purchase of 3D printers in an attempt to give customers access to even more diversified services.
They could potentially be used to print out common items, preventing people from waiting for a delivery. Currently, Australia Post officials are looking into possibilities for bringing the idea to reality.
These are just some of the new technologies that Australia Post will add to the equipment that it already utilizes. In 2014, 500-million dollar parcel sorting machines were bought for the offices in Sydney and Melbourne. All of these transitions are happening in an attempt to boost the popularity of the postal service once again. Since people are increasingly becoming dependent on digital communication, Australia Post has been experiencing losses stemming from a decreased demand for postal services.
