The encyclopedia · Software & IT · Technical decision · 2019–2023
Wing's drones land on a giant QR code, then lower the parcel to the ground
A big ground QR code tells the drone exactly where it is; a winch settles the package without an aircraft landing.
Wing · Alphabet
the move
Autonomous delivery drones have to arrive at the right spot and leave goods safely, but GPS alone can miss by enough to hit a roof, a tree or a child.
Wing places a QR code on each landing pad, large enough for the incoming eVTOL drone to scan and confirm its location before touchdown, then uses a tether to lower the package to ground level.
The approach removes the need for an aircraft to set down on uneven, uncertain terrain, and it lets the drone take off again immediately — used in the first North American drone delivery service, in Christiansburg, Virginia, and later in Australia.
why it works
- A QR code gives the drone a precise, visible anchor that GPS can't provide.
- Lowering the parcel on a tether means the drone never has to land in a risky spot.
- It is a passive fix — print it on the pad and the infrastructure needs no power or sensors.
- The drone leaves the package and departs immediately, so it spends little time on station.
what transfers
When a machine can't resolve its position precisely enough, give the environment a landmark it can read — cheap, passive and foolproof.
what came after
Wing's QR-code landing pads supported the first North American drone delivery service in Christiansburg, Virginia, and its network later expanded, including a Walmart drone-delivery partnership
references
- Drone Delivery Is Near With FAA, NASA Focused on Safety
- Drone food delivery service takes off in Ipswich
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