Drone Delivery: Beijing Courier Tests Pilot-Free Air Mail

Not long ago, it was discovered that a "UFO" reported in Shanghai was actually a cake-delivering drone. Now, you may have the opportunity to spot one in Beijing, thanks to SF Express's new money-saving project.

The local delivery agency is planning to begin using pilotless aircraft to deliver packages to suburban or rural areas to help avoid havng to build more post offices. The crafts will be able to fly 100 meters high, travel up to 10 kilometers, and carry packages less than three kilograms.

But don't get too excited about these high tech carrier pigeons just yet – analysts from the Beijing Commerce Institute say that because of current aviation regulations, the chance that the government would approve pilotless delivery is very small. If we're comparing cakes and mail here, the cake company in Shanghai wasn't successful with their flying robots – as of July 26, the local police asked them to stop because of public safety concerns.

Photo: pigeons4less.com