Walmart to test drone deliveries

Walmart Stores Inc yesterday applied for US regulatory permission to test drones for home delivery, curbside pickup and checking warehouse inventories, a sign it planned to go head-to-head with Amazon in using drones to fill and deliver online orders.

Walmart, the world's largest retailer by revenue has been conducting indoor tests for several months involving small unmanned aircraft systems – the term regulators used for drones - and was now for the first time seeking to test the machines outdoors and plans to use drones manufactured by China's SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd.

In addition to letting drones take inventory of trailers outside its warehouses and perform other tasks to make its distribution system more efficient, Wal-Mart has been asking the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to research drone use in "deliveries to customers at Walmart facilities, as well as to consumer homes," according to a copy of the application reviewed by Reuters.

The move follows the lead given by Amazon.com Inc, Google and other companies that intend to test drones in the expectation that the FAA would soon establish rules for their widespread commercial use.

FAA deputy administrator Michael Whitaker said in June that the agency would finalise regulations over the next 12 months, faster than previously planned.

According to commentators, the retailer's logistics team had been testing indoors for several months in the US and now wanted to move outdoors.

According to the world's largest retailer it was ready to start tests once the FAA signed off on the exemption.

With businesses awaiting final rules for commercial drone flights, the FAA had granted exemptions to businesses, eager to use the new technology.

Walmart's competitor Amazon had been a leader in the space, detailing how it thought drones could fly safely, and traveling overseas to test where regulations were less restrictive.

According to commentators Walmart would like to start testing drones immediately, for Delivery of goods to customers' homes, grocery pickup, gathering aerial data and better distribution management.