Important Innovations

  Zipline Vaccine Deliveries by Drone                                        Source:  Zipline Potential New Remedy to Vaccine Shortages  In the business of drone deliveries, Zipline is by far the biggest player.  It has extensive experience delivering blood and vaccines by drones.  In fact, in 2020, it delivered one million doses of non-COVID-19 vaccines in Africa alone.  It is now about to tackle the difficult logistical task of delivering COVID vaccines. Vaccines Coming By Flying Drones Zipline is a 7 year old startup, headquartered in San Francisco.  It just disclosed that it is developing a COVID vaccine drone delivery system with a COVID vaccine manufacturer.  Zipline did not name the manufacturer that it's working with.  The delivery process is very complicated because many of the vaccines like those from Pfizer and Moderna need to be kept at cold temperatures or they de-nature. April Takeoffs Zipline says it will have "end to end" cold chain capabilities" in p

  Walmart's Online Business Has Doubled On Demand Drones Walmart is beefing up its delivery services with on-demand drones. It just announced that it's launching a pilot program delivering groceries and other household items by drones.  The pilot program is being done in partnership with the drone delivery service Flytrex.  The world's biggest retailer is flying the grocery deliveries using Flytrex automated drones. Drone Insights Drone deliveries started today in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  Cloud-controlled drones are picking up and dropping off select items.  In a blog post, Walmart SVP of Customer Products Tom Ward said the drones are controlled over the cloud using a smart and easy control dashboard.  Through the drone delivery service in Fayetteville, Walmart hopes to gain insights into  customer and staff drone experiences "from pickup and packing to takeoff and landing". COVID Environment Because of the COVID pandemic, shoppers prefer having items delive

Honeywell's New Unmanned Aerial Systems Unit Source:  Vertical Aerospace Capitalizing on Flying Taxis and Drone Deliveries Honeywell International, a major aerospace supplier,  is launching a new autonomous aerial systems business unit.  The strategic move is a bet on growth in the unmanned aviation market of flying taxis, packages and cargo delivered by unmanned vehicles and drones.  Honeywell expects that business will grow into a $120 billion market by 2030. And Honeywell expects to get 20% of that market. Technology Supplier Honeywell's area of expertise is building aviation electronics and autonomous flight control systems.  The company doesn't build the drones.  It supplies aviation electronics and autonomous flight systems to customers like Germany's Volocopter, which is building eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing) flying taxis.  Another customer is UK based Vertical Aerospace which has a prototype vehicle that can carry cargo up to 551 pou

New, Low Altitude Radar Innovation Capable of Tracking Widespread Drone Use Source:  Raytheon Skylar Rollout of Widespread Drone Deliveries Enabled Raytheon Corporation, the US defense contractor, has developed a low altitude, radar system capable of tracking flying vehicles below 3200 feet. It's an innovation breakthrough for the drone aviation industry.  For drones to be able to deliver on their potential, we have to be able to track the small, low flying vehicles, 24/7. Enter Raytheon's Skylar Raytheon's new, low power radar is known as Skylar.  It's a compact unit that's less than one meter square.  It scans for objects using a radar system similar to that in modern fighter jets. Top Innovation - Potential Use This system has been cited as a top innovation in 2018.  Here's Raytheon vision of how it could be deployed.  Networks of these units on cell towers, hills and on buildings.  They say that would be far cheaper and far more effective for