A2Z Drone Delivery, Inc, developer of commercial drone delivery solutions, has announced the immediate availability of several new safety features and hardware upgrades that are now integrated with the company’s industry-leading commercial drone delivery winch. The new safety features are already being included with new RDS2 winch purchases, and existing users are able to adopt the latest safety features via a firmware update. Alongside these software-enabled features, A2Z Drone Delivery is also releasing a new weatherproof cover for the RDS2 as well as a new auto-releasing bag hook able to deposit payload bags without a recipient awaiting the delivery. Attendees of the upcoming XPONENTIAL 2024 will have the opportunity to demo the latest features in booth #4525. For more information on the RDS2 commercial drone delivery winch, please visit: https://www.a2zdronedelivery.com/

Drone agnostic, the RDS2 (Rapid Delivery System 2) enables safe and efficient payload deliveries from just about any commercial UAV platform. The drone winch can also be factory integrated with A2Z Drone Delivery’s purpose-built delivery drones, the RDST Longtail integrated delivery drone and RDSX Pelican long range delivery drone. With the RDS2, drone operators are able to deposit payloads from altitude where spinning propellers are kept far from people and property and human engagement with the drone system is minimized. Able to deliver payloads up to 10 kg/22 pounds, and pick up payloads up to 5 kg/11 pounds, the RDS2 commercial drone winch requires no specialty payload containers ensuring it easily accommodates customers’ existing logistics networks. The RDS2 has become the trusted commercial-grade winch solution for leading drone logistics operators, search and rescue support, medical deliveries, water sampling data collection, and more.

“As customers around the world continue to expand their drone delivery operations, more and more are seeking out local regulatory approvals to operate autonomous beyond-visual-line-of-sight missions. The new safety features we are rolling out in this latest firmware update enable them to demonstrate to regulators that commercial drone delivery operations continue to become safer as the tools of the trade evolve,” said Aaron Zhang, CEO and Co-Founder of A2Z Drone Delivery.  

New RDS2 Drone Winch Safety Features
The RDS2 Commercial Drone Delivery Winch has historically offered numerous redundant safety capabilities including a payload monitoring system, passive payload lock, manual or automatic tether controls, and tether abandonment should it become inadvertently entangled. Expanding this array of safety features, the latest firmware update for the RDS2 now includes:

  • Entanglement Auto-Detection: In the event the winch’s tether becomes entangled, the RDS2 is able to auto-detect and abandon its tether to safeguard the airframe. With this new update, customers can now customize the winch’s entanglement detection parameters. This allows the smart winch to detect whether the entanglement is an obstruction on the ground, if the hook or tether is entangled at altitude as with a tree or wires, or at the top of its reel-up sequence for a situation where the tether has entangled the UAV’s landing gear. These parameters can be fully customized to fit the unique demands of any customer use case.
  • Overweight Payload Rejection: The RDS2 now automatically confirms payload weights are within its 5 kg payload pickup allowance to prevent overweight loads from causing unsafe flying conditions. While operators are able to easily confirm payload weights when they personally load the winch, when making pickups from third parties, this safety check becomes less reliable. With the winch automatically confirming payload weights at pickup, operators can confidently proceed with a mission following payload retrieval.
  • Tether Lifecycle Alerts: Operators can now customize alert messages to remind them when to replace the winch’s braided Kevlar tether. Rated for up to 800 deliveries between replacement, the RDS2 now monitors the total length of spooled out tether and notifies operators when it is time to replace the mission critical component.
  • Gentle Payload Touchdown: The RDS2 now automatically slows the tether deployment as the payloads approach the ground to minimize time on station and ensure the softest possible landing for mission critical deliveries.

New Hardware Accessories for the RDS2 Drone Winch
In addition to these latest safety features, A2Z Drone Delivery is also releasing two new hardware accessories designed to meet the growing diversification of customer UAV mission needs. New hardware accessories include:

  • Weatherproof Winch Cover: As commercial drone operations continue to push the boundaries, both new and existing customers have sought to extend their mission capabilities during inclement weather conditions. With this new RDS2 weatherproof cover, operators are safe to confidently make deliveries in rainy or snowy conditions.
  • Auto-Release Bag Hook: Since the RDS2 became available, customers have relied on A2Z Drone Delivery’s patented auto-release mechanism to swiftly deposit the boxes of their choosing. With this new auto-release bag hook, customers can now extend their payload options to any sturdy retail bag.

Source: A2Z Drone Delivery