Vodafone’s drone project expands to medicine delivery

In October, we wrote about an innovative drone project involving Vodafone Germany, which allows residents of remote villages around Michelstadt to have their shopping delivered by air. Now, the service includes non-prescription drugs.

Working with the Bären-Apotheke in Erbach, medicine delivery has been added at the request of local residents. The pharmacy is integrated into the LieferMichel platform and offers customers a range of medicines.

Shopping brought to your door

Launched as part of the research project 'DroLEx' (Drone Cargo Bike Express Delivery) by Wingcopter and the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, the LieferMichel pilot project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

It has seen inhabitants of the 600 and 800-strong towns of Rehbach and Würzberg test a more convenient and sustainable option for shopping for the first time. The remote districts of the small town of Michelstadt are part of the 'LieferMichel' area.

Through the online platform of the same name, customers can select products for purchase and a choose a delivery time. The order is put together by an employee at the REWE Center in Michelstadt and transported from there to the place of departure by an e-cargo bike from Riese & Müller.

Then the Wingcopter delivery drone will take off with the shopping box, which weighs up to 4kg and is the size of a shoebox. The last mile is once again bridged with an e-cargo bike and the shopping is delivered to the front door.

As a result, customers are not only saving time and gaining peace of mind, but also emissions are cut too as the electrically powered drones and cargo bikes are more sustainable than using a car.