Indianapolis-based DroneDek Corporation, a US firm that designs smart mailbox for secure drone delivery, entered into an agreement with Bengaluru-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to design, develop and produce smart mailbox units for worldwide distribution.
DroneDek holds a first-position patent portfolio for its smart mailbox for receiving and storage of a drone package. It is a feature-rich, secure mailbox that accepts delivery from a robotic, unmanned driverless, aerial drone or by conventional means. DroneDek will include provisions for receiving or sending food, medicine, groceries, or other parcels.
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The DroneDek mailbox would also accept parcels through traditional delivery methods, and is envisioned to become an everyday utility service, like power or water. The device is capable of keeping packages hot or cold, will alert users to arrival of a package, recharge drones, and even serve as an emergency alert mechanism, if necessary.
An app controls when the device is opened for delivery or retrieval, and also controls its emergency alarm features.
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Anandi Ramalingam, Chairman & Managing Director, BEL, said, “We are always raising the bar on our technical offerings, and we want to continue to be a company of firsts. The DRONEDEK opportunity presents BEL a new vertical in the changing landscape of worldwide, last-mile logistics, one in which we will be able to put a stake on the ground and build on.”
Dan O’Toole, founder and CEO of DroneDek, said, “DroneDek must work with the reliability and redundancy of a 747 airliner with 300 people on board.”