The flying machines will also be used at its different outlets and distribution centers.
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Beyond using drones for inventory purposes, Wal-Mart is asking regulators for permission to research drone use in deliveries to customers at its stores, as well as their homes.
It will be favourable with Wal-Mart as the FAA had recently permitted companies to use drones that are made in China, similar to what the e-commerce company is requesting.
Walmart has become the latest retailer to announce that it is testing a fleet of delivery drones, joining the likes of Amazon and UPS. Both of these drones are being manufactured by Chinese firm SZ DJI Technology. They would give the supermarket a lot of reach to fulfill customer needs.
“You test for a reason because you learn during tests and you tend to evolve and figure out which approaches are most compelling to customers and most efficient for the business”, explains Toporek. Walmart would also like to use the drones to check on its buildings, warehouses and distribution centers. Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos has cited the belief that one day seeing a delivery drone would be “as common as seeing a mail truck”. The internet giant is a veteran of drone deliveries- being delivering its packages through the company’s “Prime Air” branded service.
The move comes as Amazon, Google Inc and other companies test drones in the expectation that the FAA will soon establish rules for their widespread commercial use. He estimates that drone deliveries will be everywhere in the future.
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Walmart would use drones built by the 9-year-old DJI, which is valued at $8 billion and “controls more than 70 percent of the consumer drone market”, according to Forbes. FAA has asked all the drone owners, including hobbyists to get their drones registered with the government for monitoring. This is particularly applicable for drones who will fly in proximity to airports. This coalition is a group of drone manufacturers and other associated industry participants.
