STUTTGART, GERMANY — German automaker Mercedes-Benz has unveiled an electric van equipped with package delivery drones.
The Vision Van is an electric vehicle with a range of up to 270 km. Its rooftop serves as a launch and landing pad for Matternet M2 drones, which can carry a package of 4.4 pounds.
All packages are scanned and sorted by robots before loading on to the van by a driverless handling vehicle. The onboard robotic shelving system then automatically locate and prepare the packages for the drone or the driver inside the cargo compartment.
The van is installed with innovative algorithms that can calculate the best delivery route for the driver, who would steer the van using a joystick.
The company said it will continue to explore the opportunities of innovative van-related business therefore it created a new organisational unit called Future Transportation Systems, which involve research teams in Stuttgart, Berlin and Silicon Valley.
