The Kroger Co. and Drone Express, a division of TELEGRID Technologies, Inc., are partnering a pilot program to offer grocery delivery via autonomous drones.
The pilot program will allow package delivery to the location of a customer's smartphone, as opposed to a street address. So, for example, customers will be able to order delivery of picnic supplies to a park, sunscreen to the beach, or condiments to a backyard cookout.
Kroger is designing bundled product offerings ideal for meeting customer needs within the current weight limits for drone delivery, which is about 5 pounds.
So, for example, Kroger will offer a baby care bundle with wipes and formula; a child wellness bundle with over-the-counter medications and fluids; and a s'mores bundle with graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate.
Using Kroger.com/DroneDelivery customers can place orders and have eligible orders delivered within as little as 15 minutes.
"Autonomous drones have unlimited potential to improve everyday life, and our technology opens the way to safe, secure, environmentally friendly deliveries for Kroger customers," said Beth Flippo, chief technology officer, TELEGRID. "The possibilities for customers are endless – we can enable Kroger customers to send chicken soup to a sick friend or get fast delivery of olive oil if they run out while cooking dinner."
Drone Express will commence test flights this week near the Kroger Marketplace in Centerville, Ohio (1095 South Main Street).
The flights will be managed by licensed Drone Express pilots from an on-site trailer with additional off-site monitoring. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin later this spring, and a second pilot is scheduled to launch this summer at a Ralphs store in California.
"The launch of the pilot in Centerville is the culmination of months of meticulous research and development by Kroger and Drone Express to better serve and meet the needs of our customers," said Ethan Grob, Kroger's director of last mile strategy and product. "We look forward to progressing from test flights to customer deliveries this spring, introducing one more way for our customers to experience Kroger."
About TELEGRID
Headquartered in New Jersey, TELEGRID Technologies, Inc. is a woman-owned small business founded in 1984 with a focus on providing cutting-edge technologies, including communications and networking equipment and systems for U.S. military and government agencies. In 2018, the company founded Drone Express to integrate its state-of-the-art, military-grade wireless mesh network with advanced drone technologies. Drone Express, which uses only American-made parts in its drones, currently has operations in California, New Jersey, and Ohio. TELEGRID is currently one of only 10 companies pre-approved by the FAA to achieve airworthiness consideration for its DE-2020 unmanned aircraft.
A division of TELEGRID Technologies, Drone Express is a logistics firm that works with companies to strategically integrate drone delivery into supply chains and service offerings. The company recently established a facility in the southwest Ohio community of Monroe as a hub for manufacturing, testing, and piloting of autonomous drones for commercial package delivery.
Drone Express grew out TELEGRID's extensive experience with the U. S. Department of Defense, which gave the company the proven success necessary to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the certification process. TELEGRID is currently one of only 10 companies pre-approved by the FAA to achieve airworthiness consideration for its DE-2020 unmanned aircraft. The company is also exploring ways to expand the range of drone deliveries Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) as part of the FAA's BEYOND program through lead participant the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.telegrid.com. For more information on Drone Express and its commercial drone delivery offering, visit https://droneexpress.ai/.
