In an interview with Benzinga, Yariv Bash, the founder and CEO of Flytrex, a pioneer in drone delivery technology, discussed the company's product and future plans.
About Yariv Bash And Flytrex
Bash is an experienced air and spaceflight entrepreneur. In 2013, he co-founded Flytrex, an autonomous drone delivery solution.
When Bash started Flytrex, he said he “spent the first two years developing a black box for consumer drones ... allow[ing] consumers to” to see drones on a map.
Flytrex now leverages its proprietary cloud-based technology for B2C drone delivery.
Recent Developments
Flytrex is working on consumer drone delivery projects in the United States and Iceland.
In North Carolina, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation, Flytrex has been testing technology that allows consumers within a 3-mile radius to receive deliveries from nearby shopping centers.
The autonomous drones fly based on GPS coordinates along routes that are preprogrammed to avoid obstacles as well as inhibit noise pollution and privacy concerns, Bash said.
Most of Flytrex’s work has been centered around data aggregation and GPS technology development, allowing for drones to “hover 100 feet above backyard[s] and lower goods on wires to the ground," he said.
Testing has gone well, the CEO said.
In Iceland, Flytrex successfully enabled autonomous drone delivery to predetermined spots where customers pick up their goods soon after delivery.
Bash theorizes that consumers will be “able to get their next iPhone within one hour” within a 60-mile radius of the retail outlet.
Why Drone Delivery?
Consumers “don’t have to get out of their pajamas” when ordering goods, Bash told Benzinga.
Autonomous drone delivery will lower costs and delays, and businesses will no longer have to rely on inefficient delivery services like “Uber Eats and Postmatesm," he said.
Instead, drones will make north of “15 deliveries per hour.”
Development
Benzinga asked Bash about the implications of drone design.
“You have to go through the regulation process if you want to change the design," he said. Once a drone is approved, the manufacturer has to sort out the configurations.
"Regulations are tough and resources are scarce; development has to be all-encompassing, because you do not get too many opportunities for changes."
The FAA has been dedicating a lot of resources to the pilot program, the CEO said, with innovations receiving "instant feedback" from the federal agency.
Flytrex expects further regulatory approvals around October or August 2020, and Bash said there are no obstacles to rapid expansion for the company.
Pitfalls
“There are three concerns: privacy, noise and safety," the CEO said.
Consumers and regulators alike tend to express concern over failure in flight, especially when drones are operated autonomously, he said.
Yet no injuries have been reported, Bash said. In Iceland, testing is conducted by ex-helicopter pilots, he said.
Going Forward
Consumer drone technology has boomed in recent times, and DJI controls more than 70% of the market, Bash said.
Flytrex and other companies within the commercial and industrial sectors are still in their early stages, he said.
"The market is still evolving."
Related Links:
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Iran Shoots Down US Drone In What Trump Calls 'Very Big Mistake'; Pelosi Says 'No Appetite' For War
Photo courtesy of Flytrex.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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