UPS Testing Drone Delivery in Massachusetts

MARBLEHEAD, MA — The skies above Marblehead offered a window into the future Thursday. A UPS drone — built with the help of a Danvers-based drone maker — flew a test delivery to Children's Island, located about a mile off Marblehead. The island is not reachable by car.

In the test scenario, the drone successfully transported an asthma inhaler from Beverly to a child at a camp on Children's Island.

“Our focus is on real-world applications that benefit our customers,” said Mark Wallace, a UPS senior vice president. “We think drones offer a great solution to deliver to hard-to-reach locations in urgent situations where other modes of transportation are not readily available.”

Last month, federal regulators approved new rules allowing drones for commercial use. Wallace said UPS has been testing drones in warehouses to check high storage racks. The company is also exploring using drones to deliver humanitarian aid in hard-to-reach areas of the world. The company did not say if or when it plans on offering commercial drone deliveries. Wallace said the company is "working closely with regulators to stay on the right path."

UPS worked with CyPhy Works on the test drone, which is battery-powered and flies itself.

"It is extremely durable, has night vision and features secure communications that cannot be intercepted or disrupted," said said CyPhy founder Helen Greiner in a statement. “Drone technology used in this way can save lives and deliver products and services to places that are difficult to reach by traditional transit infrastructures."

Photos: cyphyworks.com