VoloDrone, heavy-lift utility multirotor, Volocopter GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany

[Airicist]

Developer - Volocopter GmbH

Home page - volocopter.com/solutions/volodrone

[Airicist]

VoloDrone heavy-lift utility drone demonstrator takes off

Oct 30. 2019

Volocopter, the pioneer in Urban Air Mobility, presented the demonstrator of its VoloDrone. This marks Volocopters expansion into the logistics, agriculture, infrastructure and public services industry. The VoloDrone is an unmanned, fully electric, heavy-lift utility drone capable of carrying a payload of 200 kg (440 lbs) up to 40 km (25 miles). With a standardized payload attachment, VoloDrone can serve a great variety of purposes from transporting boxes, to liquids, to equipment and beyond. It can be remotely piloted or flown in automated mode on pre-set routes.

The VoloDrone has been engineered to serve challenging missions across industries ranging from agriculture, logistics, and infrastructure to public services, offering time and cost advantages compared to existing solutions.

The first flight of the VoloDrone demonstrator in October 2019 marks the beginning of intensive customer interaction in real-life applications, which provides the basis for the serial product.

[Airicist]

Integrating VoloDrones into logistics operations

Jul 1, 2021

Together with DB Schenker, we conducted a joint static proof of concept (PoC) at Messe Stuttgart for VoloDrone ground operations in logistic centers. This was to create the first blueprint for electric cargo drone ground operations in logistics with Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics' support. The blueprint derived from these results will be the first of its kind for integrating VoloDrone operations in logistics networks across the globe. 

During this experiment, we simulated VoloDrone integration in a logistics network by examining the ground processes for coding goods, assessing safe cargo loads and goods, testing the automated supply of the drone through autonomous vehicles, and identifying other necessary pre-flight cargo checks. And by doing this, we will determine safe, standard procedures for employees on the ground preparing the VoloDrone for flight in logistics networks.

The VoloDrone, Volocopter's heavy-lift and versatile cargo drone, is fully electric, can transport a 200 kg payload up to 40 km, and has 18 rotors and motors powering the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This innovative urban air mobility solution for intracity logistics will operate within Volocopter's UAM ecosystem for cities. 

[Airicist]

VoloDrone first public flight

Oct 12, 2021

Together with our partner Volocopter, we successfully conducted the first public #VoloDrone cargo flight at the ITS Hamburg. 3-minutes, 22 meters high, fully electric, and CO2 neutral.

[Airicist]

VoloDrone first public flight with logistics integration with DB Schenker

Oct 13, 2021

Volocopter’s electric heavy-lift drone VoloDrone conducted its first public flight on 12. Oktober 2021 at ITS World Congress 2021. Together with the international logistics leader DB Schenker, urban air mobility pioneer Volocopter demonstrated VoloDrone’s seamless integration into the logistics supply chain with an end-to-end cargo transport demonstration. The partners showed their significant progress together since DB Schenker became a strategic investor of Volocopter in early 2020.

The 3-minute test flight took off at 3:02 p.m. at homePORT Hamburg and reached a maximum altitude of 22 meters. For this delivery simulation, the electric heavy-lift utility drone was equipped with a load-box in between its landing gear. First, the demonstration teams secured a Euro-pallet sized load to the box under the VoloDrone, followed by a smooth take-off. After this, the aircraft brought the payload to a DB Schenker Cargo Bike and landed safely. Once the payload was transferred successfully, the Cargo Bike delivered its cargo to the final destination under the area’s park deck, marking the completion of the entirely electric, multimodal last-mile delivery.

Volocopter is building the world’s first sustainable and scalable urban air mobility business to bring affordable air taxi services to megacities worldwide. Together with international partners in infrastructure, operations, and air traffic management, Volocopter is building the ecosystem necessary to ‘Bring Urban Air Mobility to Life’. With the VoloCity, we are pioneering the first fully electric “eVTOL” aircraft in certification to enhance urban mobility around the globe.

[Airicist2]

VoloDrone: Volocopter & DB Schenker present future of logistics

Feb 22, 2022

Get ready for a new chapter in logistics with our fully electric VoloDrone. Watch the video to find out how we plan to make operations more stable, efficient, and sustainable, in collaboration with our partner, top global logistics supplier DB Schenker.

Find out more about our partnership with DB Schenker by reading our latest blog post!

Volocopter is building the world’s first sustainable and scalable urban air mobility business to bring affordable air taxi services to megacities worldwide. Together with international partners in infrastructure, operations, and air traffic management, Volocopter is building the ecosystem necessary to ‘Bring Urban Air Mobility to Life’. With the VoloCity, we are pioneering the first fully electric “eVTOL” aircraft in certification to enhance urban mobility around the globe.