Zipline, Walmart expand drone deliveries in DFW area
An increasing number of people are getting delivery of everyday items delivered to their doorsteps via drone, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas and in other locations across the U.S.
Earlier this month Zipline, the operator of the world’s largest autonomous drone delivery system, began conducting drone deliveries from a Walmart Supercenter in McKinney, Texas, about 40 miles north of Dallas. The kick-off event marks the 15th city in the greater DFW area in which Zipline and Walmart are partnering to provide drone delivery. Other locations include Dallas, Waxahachie, Burleson and Mesquite.
In addition, a company spokeswoman said Zipline planned to begin drone delivery service from a Walmart in Red Oak, a city about 20 miles south of Dallas, the week of November 10.
The Zipline delivery system employs two vehicles; the primary aircraft, known as the Zip, and the smaller Droid, which fits in the belly of the Zip and which carries the payload of items to be delivered to the customer. The Zip, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle is able to fly autonomously to service customers within a 10-mile radius of its home base store…