Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) and Toyota Tsusho Canada Inc. are partnering to bring DDC’s drone delivery logistics platform to an international commercial market.
Drone Delivery Canada has been developing its proprietary drone technology to find efficient ways to deliver goods to clients and consumers, including to remote Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario.
According to a May 28 news release, Toyota Tsusho will participate in Drone Delivery Canada’s commercial pilot program in Canada as an initial stage. Collectively, the two groups will look to commence flight testing and identify other international markets to deploy DDC’s proprietary drone delivery platform as a transportation solution.
Tony Di Benedetto, CEO of Drone Delivery Canada, said the partnership would give it access to international markets.
“Working alongside a global industrial leader such as Toyota Tsusho also provides us quick access to a very extensive international global network and a breadth of commercial skills,” Di Benedetto said in the news release.
“We are confident drone delivery services are the way of the future,” said Hidetoshi Tada, president of Toyota Tsusho, in the release. “This agreement with DDC will enable us to participate in this cutting edge technology.”
TTCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. The ultimate parent company of TTCI is Toyota Tsusho Corporation, the trading affiliate of the Toyota Group of companies.
DDC’s drones currently in development include the Condor, which is capable of travelling 150 kilometres, carrying up to 400 pounds of cargo and handling pallet-sized shipments; the Raven, which is capable of carrying 25 pounds of payload and flying 60 kilometres; and the Sparrow, which is capable of carrying up to 10 pounds of payload and flying just a few kilometres.
The company is compliant with Transport Canada’s operational standard for unmanned aerial vehicles.
