Volansi (formerly Volans-i) is an American unmanned aerial vehicle logistics company. Founded in San Francisco, California in 2015, the company utilizes VTOL drones for commercial, medical and defense operations.[2]
 | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Logistics |
| Genre | Delivery drone |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Hannan Parvizian[1] Wesley Zheng |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
Key people | Hannan Parvizian, CEO |
| Website | volansi |
History
editThe company was founded in 2015 by former Tesla, Inc. senior operations analyst Hannan Parvizian and Wesley Zheng, who had been working for electric car manufacturer Lucid Motors.[3] While at Stanford University, Zheng was a part of a team who researched an improved model of lithium–sulfur battery for use in renewable energy systems.[4][5] Parvizian was inspired to create the company due to logistics issues that Tesla was facing, where manufacturing parts could not be sourced in a timely manner.[6] The company was originally funded by Y Combinator, and the company presented their VTOL drones at a showcase in Austin, Texas in 2017.[7][3] In July 2017, the company led a project that set "a new U.S. record for long-distance urban delivery by drone, using cellphone networks to help navigate a simulated 97-mile trip".[8] The company opened a production facility in Concord, California.[2]
Volansi first became involved in humanitarian relief in 2018, by working together with Merck & Co. and Direct Relief to develop a drone-based medical supply delivery system in Puerto Rico, securing inter-island flight permissions for the project.[2][9][1] The company's preparations for creating the first hurricane relief drone were scampered in 2019 due to the damage caused by Hurricane Dorian to The Bahamas.[10]
In March 2020, Volansi hired former Amazon Prime Air co-founder Daniel Buchmueller as their Chief Technology Officer.[11] The company won the Airmanship Special Award at the 2020 African Drone Forum.[12] The same year it began testing for vaccine deliveries in North Carolina with Merck.[13]
In July 2022, Volansi filed for assignment for benefit of creditors (ABC), an alternative to bankruptcy.[14]
Operations
editVolansi's facilities are based in Concord, California, however the company operates globally.[15] The drone services are offered on-demand, and can be used for commercial, medical and defense purposes.[2] Packages are able to be delivered to any location with a suitable flat surface, including construction sites and ships at sea.[6] To be able to operate, the company receives many exceptions to Federal Aviation Administration rules.[16]
Volansi's VOLY M20 model has a maximum 350 mile range, depending on the payload and weather conditions.[12] However, the company have tested prototypes that can travel at a 500-mile range, with a top speed of 67 miles per hour.[6][3]
References
edit- ^ a b Thibodeaux, Wanda (June 1, 2020). "After Hurricanes Maria and Florence, These 5 Companies Found a Unique Way to Work Together". Inc.
- ^ a b c d "Drone Delivery Start-Up Volans-i Raises $20 Million". DroneBelow.com. May 15, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ a b c Chu, Patrick (May 27, 2018). "This ex-Tesla analyst's 200-mph drones deliver heavy parts up to 500 miles away and land on a moving boat". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ Moore, Olivia (May 27, 2018). "Researchers develop hybrid flow battery for renewable energy sources". The Stanford Daily. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "Energy & sustainability, Guangyuan, Wesley Zheng". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ a b c Kolodny, Lora; Weaver, Darren (May 26, 2018). "These drones can haul a 20-pound load for 500 miles and land on a moving target". CNBC. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ Kolodny, Lora (May 10, 2017). "Volans-i shows off its long-range delivery drones in Texas". TechCrunch. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ David Wichner, "97-mile delivery by drone involves 2 local companies", Arizona Daily Star (July 13, 2017), p. A15-16.
- ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division, Board on Global Health, Value Proposition and Innovative Models for Multi-Sectoral Engagement in Global Health (2020), p. 78: "Merck has been working with AT&T, Direct Relief International, Volans-I, and other partners to explore the use of drone delivery in disaster situations".
- ^ Cohen Marill, Michelle (September 17, 2019). "The First Hurricane Relief Drone Was Ready to Fly—Then Dorian Hit". Wired. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "Drone developer Volansi hires former Amazon Prime Air leader". UAS Magazine. March 10, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ a b "Volansi Wins Airmanship Award from African Drone Forum". sUAS News. May 19, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "Merck testing drone delivery for vaccines in North Carolina". Fierce Healthcare. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ "Volansi files Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors?". sUAS News.
- ^ Guillot, Grant (April 29, 2020). "Lessons Learned from Smart Mailboxes and International Drone Deliveries: Drones in America". MarketScale. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ DiFeliciantonio, Chase (May 24, 2020). "In a post-coronavirus world, robots may rejigger work as much as they replace it". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 6, 2020.