Indonesian telco XLSmart says its business unit has unveiled an autonomous 5G drone for goods delivery, developed in collaboration with polytechnic university ASTRAtech as a logistics solution for the manufacturing sector.
Revealed on Friday by XLSmart For Business, the drone is capable of fully autonomous flight, with tech features including live camera streaming over 5G to enable real-time video monitoring, and computer vision technology to ensure accurate recognition of the delivery point and safe landing, even in congested or restricted space areas. Users can also plan and manage the drone’s route via a dashboard
XLSmart chief enterprise business officer Feby Sallyanto said drones have the ability help manufacturers decrease shipping costs, accelerate inter-facility distribution, and extend coverage to areas that are difficult to access by land-based transport, as well as reduce carbon footprints and increase manufacturing productivity.
“This solution directly addresses common distribution constraints faced by manufacturers, including employment restrictions, delivery route difficulties, and the urgent need for time and cost efficiency,” he said in a statement. “By integrating 5G connectivity with autonomous flight technology, we create a smart delivery system that is not only quick and efficient, but also secure and easy to monitor.”
This AI and IoT-based smart solution was developed by X-Camp (XLSmart's innovation lab specializing in enterprise AI and IoT solutions), with research support from ASTRAtech (a subsidiary of Indonesian conglomerate Astra Group) and drone manufacturer Bentara Tabang Nusantara (Beta-UAS).
The solution was initially developed for one of Astra's manufacturing subsidiaries to solve the challenge of transferring and mobilising materials throughout production processes, and has now been developed for wider commercial use for manufacturing companies.
ASTRAtech director Henri Paul said the university hopes to collaborate with XLSmart to expand their work on drone solutions for other sectors and use cases, including infrastructure and logistics, construction, agribusiness, heavy equipment and mining, property, and other industries, especially within the Astra Group ecosystem.
