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around 11 a.m. on may 25, a small drone vertically ascended from the zhongmiao postal branch in chaohu city. after flying for 4 minutes along a predetermined route, it smoothly landed on mushan island in chaohu lake, marking the successful maiden flight of hefei's first drone delivery route. this route is expected to officially open in early june. mushan island is the largest island in chaohu lake, with a circumference of 4 kilometers and a total area of about 1 square kilometer. currently, more than 100 residents live on the island. according to reports, the island residents had to rely on postal workers traveling by boat to send and receive packages, a round trip that took over two hours, making deliveries difficult and time-consuming. "we have established two drone logistics takeoff and landing sites on mushan island and at the zhongmiao postal branch. the direct flight route is 4 kilometers, replacing the traditional postal delivery method," said cheng bingheng, the leader of hefei post's low-altitude economy project. he explained that drone deliveries can achieve autonomous takeoff, landing, and return, significantly reducing delivery time and cost, thereby providing more convenient services for island residents. the soon-to-be-deployed antwork ra3p logistics drone currently has a maximum payload of 5 kilograms and can ensure one round trip per day initially. "in the future, we will establish drone logistics hubs at the takeoff and landing points to enable automatic charging and takeoff for drones," cheng bingheng added. once the drone delivery route is officially operational, it will also be used in some remote villages to provide precise delivery services for elderly people with mobility issues. in recent years, with the development of the low-altitude economy, the application range of drones has become increasingly extensive. as of now, hefei has opened more than 30 routes in 7 categories, including drone delivery of medical supplies, rail inspection, and power inspection. additionally, the city is advancing 13 application scenarios, such as long-duration inspections of expressways and manned cultural tourism.
source: hefei daily
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