DHL ‘Parcelcopter 3.0’ gets James Bond treatment in Bavaria [VIDEO]

If it’s Friday, it must be time for another drone video on ACW…

OK, we admit that we have a weakness for these little unmanned gadgets, but this particular system, created by Germany-based Deutsche Post DHL, is a far cry from the spindly, insect-like “Parcelcopter” we featured back in September 2014. This is “Parcelcopter 3.0,” a larger UAV that looks more like a miniature V-22 Osprey, with two tilt-rotors to allow for vertical take-off and landing and for straight-ahead, fixed-wing flight at up to 70 kilometers per hour.

It also comes with a totally cool Packstation and Skyport launch facility that looks like it would be right at home in a Bond or Bourne film.

DHL said this week that it recently completed a three-month trial to test the system in real-world conditions. From January to March, the Parcelcopter 3.0 was used to delivery small packages weighing up to 2 kilograms, containing medicines and other time-sensitive goods to remote areas around the Bavarian village of Reit im Winkl. According to DHL, a total of 130 sorties were flown successfully over distances of up to 8 kilometers away, with the little yellow aircraft navigating mountainous and sometimes snowy terrain.

What’s special about this slightly over-the-top video is that it focuses more on the entirely automated parcel loading and unloading system inside the Skyport launchers than on the UAV itself. It’s quite fascinating and reminded us of videos showing how big battleship guns are loaded, with a complex series of hydraulic elevators and robotic arms – only here they’re moving mail-orders around instance of ordnance. For much more about the development of Parcelcopter 3.0, click here.

Enjoy! And have a great weekend.