Aevum looks to apply autonomous launch tech to deploy last-mile cargo drones

Alabama-based Aevum, an autonomous space drone and software developer that exited stealth mode in 2019 with U.S. government contracts to launch satellites, obtained a patent this month that will enable it to utilize its autonomous launch system to serve last-mile air cargo needs as soon as 2022. The new concept that aims to help last-mile quadcopters could overcome battery and range limitations in current models by diverting the heavy lifting to an autonomous launch vehicle. [caption id="attachment_415939" align="alignright" width="500"] Aevum's Ravn-X autonomous launch vehicle on taxi. Photo/Aeuvum[/caption] According to a May 4 U.S. patent for an “Adaptive Autonomous Aircraft System with Modular Payload Systems,” Aevum plans to add interchangeable payload modules to its Ravn X autonomous launch system in order to meet various use cases for autonomous air freight. Initially, the Ravn X unmanned aircraft system (UAS) was designed to launch satellites into low orbit. The company has been awarded government contracts ranging in size from $4.6 million, to potentially upward of $986 million through an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract that will allow Aevum to compete to operate up to twenty missions over the next nine years for the United States Space Force’s Orbital Services Program, according to a release from the company. Running on standard jet fuel and departing from a 1-mile-long runway, the 7-tonne-capacity UAV can fly at speeds of up to 600 mph before dropping its payload and autonomously returning to its origin. The last-mile concept envisions the Ravn X dropping up to 264 smaller quadcopter cargo drones, rather than a single satellite, CEO Jay Skylus told Air Cargo World. The technology, as applied, will “enable this unmanned aircraft to function as a launch system [for last-mile drones].” While battery limitations narrow the range for quadcopter parcel drones reliant on a fuel source, utilizing a launch system handles the energy-intensive process of getting the drones into the skies above their target destination and then allows quadcopter drones with payloads or parcels weighing up to 25 kg to leverage gravity as they navigate toward their targets. Most electric parcel drones and larger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) devices on the market or in development require frequent charging, which can complicate rural deliveries. UPS recently purchased eVTOLs that need to be recharged at a dedicated station or on one of the company's ground electric vehicles. Until battery technology advances, last-mile delivery costs via electric drone are prohibitively high. In 2020, delivery cost on a per parcel basis was $110 for cargo weighing 3 kg to 25 kg, according to estimates from Levitate Capital Analysis. By 2030, technology advancements are expected to bring down the per-parcel cost to about $12. As conceptualized, Aevum’s last-mile drones home in on delivery targets such as a predefined geographical location or a destination in close proximity to a customer’s mobile device and deliver last-mile. The launch vehicle then returns to base for more cargo, while the drones would be recollected for reuse. “After setting the package down in front of you, our package drone flies away to an Aevum-designated collection location,” said Skylus. Aevum expects gig workers to handle the process of collecting and redeploying the parcel drones in a model similar to the way electric bikes and scooters are charged and repositioned at major cities around the globe. Skylus hopes the drone, paired with the technology, will facilitate last-mile delivery for retailers of varying size and expects drone technology to make rural areas more accessible to parcel drone deliveries. “We're no longer going to be limited to, say, main hubs for economic air cargo transport, but we'll be able to service rural areas,” Skylus said. Aevum expects the UAS to take its first commercial flight in early 2022. “We will likely do a demo of an air-released package drone under these special licenses from the FAA to prove that we can do it, and that we can do it safely. And then we plan to go after that type certification that will allow us to do this regularly,” Skylus said. Cargo Facts EMEA, taking place June 2-3 as a virtual experience, is the event for exploring opportunity in the EMEA region. The event continues to bring together the best, brightest, and most innovative executives in the global air cargo industry. Learn more and register at www.cargofactsemea.com .

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