Delhivery Acquires Transition Robotics For Drone Delivery And Operation IPs

IPO-bound Delhivery has acquired California-based Transition Robotics, a startup developing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) platforms. Delhivery has taken over all of the acquired company’s intellectual properties registered in the United States, including those concerning aerial photography, remote sensing, inspection and surveys. 

Founded in 2011 by Jeff Gibboney, Transition Robotics develops technologies for autopilot assisted vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), flying wing aircrafts, aerial photography, infrastructure inspection, surveys and remote sensing, autopilot electronics, software design and manufacturing. 

Its first product was the Quadshot which was a type of hobbyist remote-controlled aircraft for experimenting with aerial photography and aerobatics. In 2015, the startup launched HumpShip, a fully autonomous platform that allows commercial operators to combine the operational flexibility of a multirotor drone and the efficient, fast flight of fixed-wing drones. 

“While we continue to build our supply chain platform, we must look at the long-term developments poised to shape the industry. Bringing TRI onboard gives us a chance to get directly involved with core Drone Technology as regulations and use cases for drones are evolving in the country,” said Kapil Bharati, chief technology officer of Delhivery. 

The global drone package delivery market size was $988.9 Bn in 2020, and it is projected to grow from $1.52 Bn in 2021 to $31.2 Bn in 2028 at a CAGR of 53.94%. Several logistics and transportation companies are already making gravy investments in what seems like the next frontier for the logistics industry. 

Accelerated delivery times, high accuracy, and the minimal human interactions required for operations are expected to drive this growth in the future. 

“We are excited to join the Delhivery team and combine our experience in developing UAS solutions with Delhivery’s ability to quickly deploy and operate technology at scale. We believe our core technology and expertise is a great addition to Delhivery’s fully-integrated approach to logistics and are looking forward to being a part of its future,” said Jeff Gibboney, cofounder of Transition Robotics. 

Yesterday, Telecom giant Reliance Jio announced that it conducted successful trials of its connected drones on its indigenously developed 5G network. 

India began piloting long-range drone deliveries in parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Punjab in June this year to test the viability of home deliveries of medicines, ecommerce and food orders using drones. 

Before that, hyperlocal delivery app Dunzo had announced plans to test drone deliveries in Telangana through a partnership with the Telangana government and the World Economic Forum. 

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