The flight lasted one hour and 43 minutes, and the aircraft landed with enough hydrogen in the tank for another 30-minute trip.

Take, for example, a November 2019 trip that traversed 43 miles over open ocean, carrying mock vials to simulate the delivery of vaccines or test samples. So far, that’s limited DroneUp and Walmart to short, close-range deliveries.Īnd DMI has already backed up that assertion in previous test flights. In this case, DroneUp and DMI said the latter’s technology will enable flights between two and five hours, whereas many battery-powered models max out at around 20 minutes. This collaboration is really interesting because it addresses two major aspects of commercial drone services, increasing flight time and reducing carbon emissions.”Īs Vernon alluded to, hydrogen fuel cells like DMI’s can extend flight times: sometimes exponentially. “It is absolutely critical we explore new technology like this and continue testing and validating how it can help us move forward. “The technology industry evolves incredibly quickly and the drone industry evolves even faster,” said John Vernon, chief technical officer of DroneUp. Meanwhile, its drone delivery rivals-like Amazon Prime Air, Alphabet’s Wing, Flytrex, Matternet, and Zipline-have yet to commit to testing hydrogen fuel cells. The Walmart partner, which powers the retailer’s largest-in-the-nation commercial drone delivery network, recently announced its plans to test hydrogen fuel cell technology from Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI), one of the first firms to commercialize hydrogen-powered drones.Īccording to DroneUp, its collaboration with the South Korean firm launched in October 2022, so the two have presumably spent months optimizing the tech for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). That appears to be the goal for Virginia Beach-based drone delivery firm DroneUp. Hydrogen fuel cells are steadily catching on in ground-based transportation, but could they soon be a fixture of our airspace?

Walmart drone up