Drones
UPS Flight Forward and Matternet started two drone routes at Wake Forest Baptist Health in North Carolina, carrying medicines and protective equipment for COVID-19 staff.
A dated step forward on the record · Company-reported
What the source says
“from one location at Wake Forest Baptist Health to two other health system locations”
What it means
UPS Flight Forward, from UPS (with Matternet drones), is at stage 5 of 5 on our ladder: regulator-cleared or mass market. Its stage is set by other milestones on its record; this one adds to the history. This line rests on the company's own announcement; no regulator, customer or independent report confirms it in our sources yet.
Human help: The maker hasn't said whether people help it remotely.
More on UPS Flight Forward
- The FAA gave UPS Flight Forward permission to fly drones beyond the operator's line of sight, so it could deliver small packages with Matternet M2 drones.
- UPS chief executive Carol Tomé played down drones, saying they cannot fly in wind or rain and have many problems.
- UPS also flew medical supplies by drone to The Villages retirement community in Florida.
- UPS became the first company to get FAA approval to run as a drone delivery airline.
- UPS Flight Forward began a drone network between hospital buildings in North Carolina using Matternet M2 drones, moving blood samples, lab specimens and prescriptions.