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  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Wing, a drone delivery division operated by Alphabet, has partnered with Hyperdome shopping center in Logan, Australia, to establish a DoorDash drone delivery hub, extending service to 17 nearby suburbs, including nine previously uncovered areas.
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    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        This broadens its drone delivery service in Southeast Queensland as it expands its operations in Logan.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Analyst QuickTake:</b>
         The expansion into Logan follows Wing's recent decision to 
        <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21922">
          suspend consumer deliveries in Canberra.
        </a>
         This move was prompted by a shift away from its warehouse-based model and the absence of shopping center partnerships in the region. Today&rsquo;s deal would help the company further strengthen its business model, which now involves partnering with shopping centers to improve consumer convenience and allow more merchants to sign on.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
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  </p>
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  <p>
    <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2023/09/wing-expands-drone-delivery-in-logan/">
      Australian Aviation
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
  </p>
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Last-mile Delivery Automation

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Alphabet's drone delivery division, Wing, has partnered with Hyperdome shopping center in Logan, Australia, to establish a DoorDash drone delivery hub. This move allows Wing to extend its service to 17 nearby suburbs, including nine areas that were previously not covered. This expansion in Southeast Queensland follows Wing's decision to suspend consumer deliveries in Canberra. Wing's new business model involves partnering with shopping centers to improve consumer convenience and attract more merchants.

Alphabet’s Wing partners with Hyperdome shopping center to expand operations in Logan, Australia

DISRUPTOR_PRESENT

Zipline has been granted permission by the FAA to conduct drone delivery operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for commercial deliveries. The company will utilize its Sparrow drone, which can cover distances up to 120 miles and release payloads via parachute. The drone is equipped with transponders to identify nearby aircraft and an acoustic avoidance system to detect and avoid other aircraft within a two-mile radius. Zipline's approval follows similar permissions granted to other companies, such as UPS Flight Forward and Matternet, indicating a growing trend towards increased autonomy for drone operators and expanding the use of drones for delivery services.

Zipline obtains FAA approval to operate delivery drones BVLOS

Agility Robotics is building a robot manufacturing facility in Salem, Oregon called RoboFab that will be able to produce over 10,000 robots per year. The facility is set to open later this year and will start production with hundreds of its Digit bipedal robots. Agility Robotics aims to deliver the first units of the Digit robots to its partner program participants in 2024 and make them available to the general public in 2025. The robots are currently designed for warehouse operations but the company plans to expand their use to last-mile delivery. The new facility will help the company achieve these goals.

Agility Robotics to open humanoid robots production facility in Oregon

Robotics startup, Boxbot, has pivoted to focus on developing warehouse solutions, including a space-efficient three-dimensional conveyor system for parcels. The company has announced a Series A funding round of $12 million, led by Playground Global, with participation from Maersk Growth, Toyota Ventures, Pear Ventures, and Artiman Ventures. This brings Boxbot's total funding to $29.5 million. The funds will be used to strengthen the company's engineering and business operations, as well as accelerate its go-to-market strategy. Boxbot is currently in talks with partners and has identified several sites for testing its warehouse automation technology. The company's platform aims to drive down last-mile delivery costs through optimised routing and sustained volume growth.

Boxbot raises USD 12 million in Series A funding; pivots from ADVs to automating warehouses

Alphabet's drone delivery division, Wing, is ending its drone delivery services in Canberra, Australia. The company will now focus on operating from major shopping centers instead of delivering packages directly to consumers' homes. This move is aimed at improving consumer convenience and allowing more merchants to join the platform. Wing's decision to end deliveries in Canberra may have been influenced by community resistance and concerns about noise pollution and wildlife risks. The company has redirected its efforts to partnerships with Coles for deliveries on the northern Gold Coast and shopping center services in Logan and Ipswich, but currently does not have shopping centers in Canberra to operate from.

Alphabet’s Wing ends delivery services in Canberra, Australia

UK air taxi and drone logistics company Skyport has partnered with Norwegian energy firm Equinor to test drone-based deliveries to oil rigs in the North Sea. The trial, which began this month and will last for two months, will utilize drones from Australian provider Swoop Areo. The service is available on-demand and is piloted from shore, transporting cargo between Equinor's processing center in Mongstad and installations in the Gullfaks oil field. This marks the first time Skyports has conducted offshore deliveries, although the company has previously trialled shore-to-ship deliveries in partnerships with other companies.

Skyport partners with Equinor to conduct drone-based cargo deliveries to offshore oil fields in the North Sea

Israeli drone-based delivery company Flytrex has introduced Autonomous Pickup, allowing its drones to pick up and deliver orders without human involvement. The drones will use a line to pick up orders and fly directly to customers' homes, reducing delivery time to around five minutes. Flytrex has partnered with several restaurants and retailers, including Papa Johns and Unilever's The Ice Cream Shop, to implement this fully autonomous delivery system. Flytrex's rival, Alphabet's drone delivery division Wing, has also revealed plans to introduce similar autonomous pickup and delivery capabilities in 2024.

Flytrex’s new autonomous order pickup capability launched via restaurants and retailers

Autonomous delivery droid manufacturer Starship Technologies has partnered with online food delivery service Grubhub to offer robotic food delivery services on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Texas. Students can order from eight on-campus eateries, including popular chains like Chick-fil-A and Starbucks. This partnership expands the autonomous delivery services that Starship and Grubhub currently offer at other universities across the United States, including the University of Kentucky, Fairfield University, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Starship Technologies partners with Grubhub to offer autonomous food delivery at Sam Houston State University

Drone delivery provider Matternet has announced that its partner, UPS Flight Forward (UPSFF), has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate the Matternet M2 delivery drone beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). UPSFF will use ground-based radar to monitor airspace, eliminating the need for visual observers. The company will also use Matternet's Mission Control software to control multiple aircraft from a centralized Remote Operations Center. This approval marks a significant step towards increased autonomy for drone operators and paves the way for Matternet and UPS to expand their drone delivery services.

UPS Flight Forward obtains FAA approval to operate partner Matternet’s delivery drones beyond visual line of sight

REE Automotive has reported their Q2 2023 results, revealing an increase in orders for their P7 electric truck lineup, bringing the total to 155 vehicles. The company has obtained certification-feasibility for its x-by-wire systems, as it takes steps towards certifying its electric truck lineup for various safety and environmental standards. REE Automotive plans to start customer deliveries by the end of the year and aims to achieve $1 billion in cumulative sales between 2024 and 2026. To support this growth, the company intends to scale production from 300 vehicles in 2024 to mid-thousands in 2026, using a US contract manufacturer to reduce capital expenditure.

All Updates