In the Untact Era, Eating Convenience Store Lunchboxes Delivered by Drones

Ministry of Industry, ETRI, and Others Hold 'Drone Utilization Distribution Logistics Innovation Demonstration' Event
Government Invests 18 Billion KRW as Part of 'Drone Utilization Service Market Creation Support Project'
GS Uses Gas Stations Nationwide as Drone Delivery and Future Mobility Hubs

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Will the day come when convenience store lunchboxes ordered through an application are delivered by drone? GS Caltex and Retail are declaring their entry into the distribution logistics service using drones for the first time in Korea.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, together with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), will hold a 'Drone Utilization Distribution Logistics Innovation Demonstration' event on the morning of the 8th at the GS Caltex Musucheon Gas Station in Jeju Island.

At the event, a service will be demonstrated where food and beverage products ordered through the GS Convenience Store app are loaded onto drones at the GS Caltex gas station and delivered to the customer before returning. The round-trip delivery distance is around 2 km, and the flight time is about 5 to 6 minutes.

Using a drone manufactured by NeonTech, the mission involves delivering lunchboxes and drinks to guests staying at a pension located 1.3 km from the gas station, and using an XDrone aircraft to deliver snacks to elementary school students at Haean Elementary School, 0.8 km away.

This is part of the 'Drone Utilization Service Market Creation Support Project,' which the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is promoting with a national budget of 18 billion KRW. Through the development and demonstration of drone-based service models, the project aims to increase the reliability of drone services and support and nurture service companies.

This demonstration tested a high-reliability drone delivery service platform with a 98% success rate in delivery missions, jointly with GS.

The government is conducting demonstration projects mainly in island and mountainous areas with the goal of early commercialization of drone delivery services amid the expanding demand for non-face-to-face services to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In the future, the application areas will be expanded step-by-step from island and mountainous regions to suburban areas and then to urban centers.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "Through drone delivery services in island and mountainous areas, essential daily and safety supplies can be delivered quickly," adding, "It is expected to be of great help to the elderly and residents living in distribution and logistics blind spots."

If private companies encounter regulatory difficulties during the commercialization of distribution and logistics delivery businesses, the government plans to support rapid business promotion through regulatory sandbox systems and other measures.

Drone Distribution Logistics Delivery Hub Concept Diagram (Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)

Additionally, on this day, GS Caltex and Retail declared their first domestic entry into the drone utilization service (distribution logistics) sector. They plan to present a vision of utilizing their nationwide gas station network as drone delivery and future mobility hubs.

GS Caltex also plans to promote a 'Mobility & Logistics Hub' business that provides mobility services such as car sharing and electric/hydrogen vehicle charging, as well as logistics services including parcel delivery and drone delivery.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, "The commercialization and expansion of drone-based distribution services in the untact era is expected to increase in importance and utilization," adding, "The government will promote the development of new technologies such as source drones with increased flight distance and payload, and will also consider linking electric/hydrogen charging and gas station networks with future mobility."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.