Drones deliver mail to remote islands in Royal Mail carbon-cutting trials
Drones are being used to deliver mail to one of the most remote of the Orkney Islands in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Royal Mail (the British postal service) has already begun two-week trial regular autonomous flights between Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay to help better connect remote island communities.
Letters and parcels are carried on a large twin-engine Ultra unmanned aircraft made in Britain, which can carry 100 kg of cargo of all shapes and sizes, equivalent to ordinary postal delivery. The cargo is then delivered to the recipient by the local island post office, serving about 70 people.
“Testing drone technology is just one of the ways we are helping our postal workers deliver excellent services while cutting carbon dioxide emissions”
The trial is part of the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (Sate) project, based at Kirkwall Airport. Nick Landon said that Royal Mail is committed to providing flawless services to all customers, wherever they live in the UK. The service is also passionate about protecting diverse and beautiful environments.
“This trial aims to help achieve both of these goals by using the most innovative technologies to support the remote and isolated communities we serve in the most environmentally friendly way”
If the trial is successful, Royal Mail will consider this technology to support postal workers in delivering to very remote areas and addresses across the UK. Unmanned aircraft can fly in bad weather, including fog, because they have no crew and, unlike boat services, are not affected by tides.
Sara Moore, a local postwoman on North Ronaldsay, said: "I am very excited to be involved in this trial. North Ronaldsay is a very remote area of the UK, and I am proud to take part in an initiative that will help Royal Mail do everything possible to keep all parts of the country connected."
Charles Scales, CEO of Windracers, said the company is pleased to use one of its Ultra unmanned aircraft for Royal Mail on North Ronaldsay: "Our autonomous system will provide all-weather service to the public and significantly reduce carbon emissions."
This is the third drone trial Royal Mail has taken part in over the past year. In December 2020, the postal service delivered a parcel by drone to a remote lighthouse on the Isle of Mull, the first such case for the UK's national postal service.
In May 2021, Royal Mail tested parcel delivery using Windracers unmanned aircraft and the first inter-island flights in the Isles of Scilly. Drones were used to send personal protective equipment, coronavirus test kits and other postal items from mainland Britain to the islands.
A small drone capable of vertical takeoff and landing was used to send parcels between islands off the Cornish coast for delivery to end recipients. A one-month trial of regular flights from the mainland to remote island areas was funded by the government and involved a consortium from the University of Southampton and several drone companies.
The trials between Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay will run until 15 October, with flights operating on weekdays. The Sate project is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
“This is a serious test for unmanned aircraft, which form an important part of the Sate project. The facilities at Kirkwall Airport are an ideal test center for this innovative use of drone technology, which can bring practical benefits to communities served by HIAL”
Drones are increasingly used for rapid delivery, research and other tasks across a wide range of fields. Swedish researchers tested drones to deliver life-saving defibrillators to people suspected of cardiac arrest, as onboard devices were shown to reach their destinations faster than ambulances.
On Easter Island, researchers from Binghamton University in New York demonstrated the effectiveness of using drones to locate sources of fresh water in the seas around the remote island.
In September 2021, researchers at the University of Cambridge developed a real-time system that can help prevent drones from entering restricted airspace around airports and other sensitive sites, preventing large-scale disruptions like those seen at Gatwick Airport in December 2018.
Back then, two drones flew into the airport's airspace, forcing the closure of its main runway and causing chaos for 48 hours for thousands of passengers. The airport later installed a drone defense system to prevent another such incident.
