Drone Delivery Canada has been awarded its first U.S. patent for its proprietary drone delivery technology.
The Vaughan-based company is furthering drone technology for a number of industries, including health care, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, mining, agriculture, forestry, construction, and with courier companies.
The patent protection, awarded by the United States Patent Office, covers a number of areas, including DDC’s proprietary FLYTE management software system; its drone delivery technology; and its ‘railway in the sky’ concept, which establishes and monitors drone flight route networks.
“This patent win again demonstrates our industry lead in this very disruptive industry,” said Paul Di Benedetto, Drone Delivery Canada’s chief technology officer, in a July 17 news release.
The company said it’s currently seeking patent protection for other aspects of its technology in the U.S. and other countries.
Since 2014, DDC has been steadily evolving its drone delivery technology.
In February, it unveiled the Condor, its most recent drone design, which is capable of carrying 400 pounds of payload and travelling 200 kilometres.
The following month, the company noted it had raised $10 million in development funding through a bought-deal financing agreement with a group of investors.
DDC signed a $2.5-million deal with Moose Cree First Nation in December, 2018, to deliver letters, general parcels, medical supplies and other necessities via its Sparrow model drone, which is capable of carrying 11 pounds of payload.
