Delivery drone that can carry 2,000lbs of cargo

A 2,000lb payload translates to 907kg, or just under a tonne, and represents a massive increase in drone payloads. It could also represent a new supply chain role for drones, which have hitherto primarily been earmarked for direct-to-consumer home deliveries by the likes of Amazon. The technology being developed by Chinese e-commerce retailer JD.com effectively turns drones into mini groupage operators: “Instead of the drone delivering directly to customers’ doorsteps, a local delivery person retrieves the cargo from the drone, which may carry between eight and 15 packages that were ordered by people in the village. The delivery person then brings the packages to people’s doors.” Although the one-tonne-capacity drone is unlikely to operating for another couple of years, an ongoing JD.com drone pilot programme has shown that China offers two-way trade – consumer items from cities to the countryside, and food products on the return leg.