THELASTMILE Logistics Outside the Box
PALLET, MEET DRONE The Palletrone (pallet plus drone) provides a hovering platform for cargo. The flying shopping cart delivers some unique features.
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It maintains stability.
It responds to human direction. The researchers demonstrated that it can distinguish between the force applied by a human and the downward force of loaded cargo, allowing users to control it via a rear- mounted handle.
Users don’t have to load it evenly. Its multi-directional thrusting capability means humans don’t have to load the platform
It can manage stairs and uneven terrain. The Palletrone can keep its roll and
Its entire top can be covered without compromising thrust. The drone’s porous side structures ensure airflow. Even when the top of the drone is completely covered with cargo, thrust is decreased by only about 5%.
Conceived by South Korean researchers, the Palletrone provides a stable platform for cargo with internal propeller arms that can rotate and thrust in any direction.
pitch at zero, maintaining a
evenly. Initial testing shows it can carry
flat platform and carrying packages across bumpy terrain.
3 kg (around 6.6 pounds) of cargo.
UP NEXT: The researchers are working on drone battery life, developing aerial docking and mid-air battery change capabilities.
Sources: IEEE Spectrum; IEEE Xplore
64 Inbound Logistics • November 2024
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