28
Fontanil-Cornillon, where the operator parked his truck and flew
the drone containing the packages up the mountain to the small vil-
lage of Mont-Saint-Martin, 2,493 feet (760 m) above sea level. The
package was then deposited into a secure terminal, and the recipi-
ent received a code by text to collect it. The drone flew at around
19 miles per hour (30 kph) and could complete the round trip in
about eight minutes, saving time as well as reducing traffic conges-
tion on the narrow mountain roads. “In the Alps, snow falls regu-
larly in these mountain areas and can prevent a traditional delivery
person from climbing to Mont-Saint-Martin. Thanks to the drone,
we will still be able to transport the packages to the village,”
11
Jean-
Luc Defrance, director of drones and autonomous vehicles at the
French parcel delivery service DPD Groupe, told a reporter.
Even as it continued to test a delivery program in the United
States, Google Wing was also looking toward other countries for
drone delivery opportunities. It launched a trial delivery service in
Finland’s capital, Helsinki, in June 2019. Those flights covered a
maximum of 6.2 miles (10 km) in about ten minutes with packages
weighing 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg) or less. Wing began its service by
offering products from two shops, a gourmet supermarket and a
local restaurant, to residents in the city’s Vuosaari district. Wing
users could order lasagna for two; a chicken Caesar salad; a clas-
sic home movie combo of popcorn, candy, and soda from the
Food Market Herkku; or items ranging from a salmon sandwich
to a Portuguese sweet custard tart from Cafe Monami, a popular
dining spot among locals.
Wing chose Vuosaari in part because of its geographic loca-
tion. The district is bordered by water on three sides, has signifi-
cant forestland alongside residential areas, and features a large
international cargo port. These features meant fewer potential
obstacles and thus greater safety in flight. The density of Vuosaa-
ri’s population also made it a great place to launch the service to
multifamily housing communities. Wing’s drone delivery program
coincided with Helsinki’s stated goal of making cars obsolete by
2025. The efficiency of drone delivery would mean fewer cars
making trips for small purchases.
