Drone technology is relatively new but they have been making their mark. With the constant evolution of new innovations, the usage of drones is increasing outside of hobbyist circles. In the postal industry, having drones would increase the outreach of deliveries, especially to families and households in rural areas.
The commercial use of drones can be implemented into the postal and courier system within the next five years, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
Drone Advantages
Drone technology can provide many advantages in various fields, such as health, agriculture, and medicine. With the help of drones, food supplies and aid can be sent to people in need who are stuck in inaccessible places such as people trapped by floods.
Gobind said that countries like Switzerland have already been using “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” (UAV) drones. Since 2018, the Swiss Post has been using drones to send laboratory samples or specimens to clinics and hospitals.
Other than Switzerland, postal companies in Australia, Germany, Singapore, Ukraine, France, and Japan have all been looking towards the viability of drones in the postal service. Consumers now expect fast parcel delivery, and drones may be the answer.
He stated that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that Malaysia should look towards new technologies like drones and artificial intelligence so as to not get left behind in the mainstream of modernisation.
Drones for Delivery of Goods
One example of drone usage is to send medical supplies to remote and rural areas during emergencies. In the agriculture sector, drones could be used to check plant growths and to send fertilisers out to extended areas, said Gobind during the closing ceremony of the Parcel Drone Competition 2019 at the Putrajaya Water Sports Complex.
The Parcel Drone Competition is jointly organised by Pos Malaysia Bhd and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). It was held on 6th to 7th March and had 40 participants, with some from tertiary institutions.
For the competition, participants had to fly their drones for two kilometres over the Putrajaya Lake and return to the starting point in the fastest time. The drones had a 2kg load, and the participants were given two chances to complete the task.
This competition is Pos Malaysia’s first step towards drones and introducing drone technology into the parcel delivery segment, said Syed Md Najib Syed Md Noor, Group Chief Officer of Pos Malaysia, according to Bernama.
Drones are more popularly used for recreational purposes, as well as aerial photography and videography in Malaysia.
With the rapid development of drone technology, this has opened opportunities for testing the transportation of goods from one place to another. He also added that to realise this initiative, there is a need to design drones with the capability of sending goods of various sizes.
Using drone technology, this can ease and speed up the delivery of essential items. As usage becomes widespread, this will also make delivery for consumers buying goods from online shopping services much quicker and more convenient.
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