New Wing Delivery Network frees drones from point-to-point flights

Google’s corporate cousin Wing Aviation has repeatedly innovated its methods of organizing and operating UAV transport of ordered goods between retailers and customers. Now it’s taking that to another level by devising reactive, pragmatic, and automated networks of delivery drones whose flexibility and increased efficiencies are what the company thinks will be key to massively scaling the activity.

Today the company unveiled its Wing Delivery Network system, which completely re-thinks the way drone transport services have been structured up until now. Rather than continuing to operate those as point-to-point shuttles between flight centers and customers’ homes – and back again – Wing will instead oversee a fluid approach that allows its UAVs to act more like taxis or cars in ride-sharing apps by responding and providing service to clients they are nearest to. 

By enabling that kind of reactive roaming, recharging, and redeployment from…