Five commercial pilot low-altitude logistics routes were launched at the Optics Valley Low-Altitude Economic Industry Innovation Development Conference on Dec 24, allowing for food and parcels to be delivered to offices and homes via drone.

Operated by Hubei E-Hawk Technology Co, the five routes provide logistics transport services, spanning from Sam's Club to the areas along the digital economic industrial park in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China, or OVC).

E-Hawk Technology's logistics delivery drone. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

"Previously, customers purchasing duty-free goods had to wait for centralized warehouse shipments and then manual delivery, which took a long time. Drones will reduce the time needed by at least half," said Cai Xiaodong, chairman of E-Hawk Technology. 

On the same day, the OVC Low-Altitude Economic Innovation Achievements Exhibition was also held to showcase a range of unmanned aerial systems and unmanned vehicles, demonstrating applications in aerial mapping, forest fire prevention, emergency firefighting, urban governance, building facade inspections, and express logistics.

During the event, 11 entities signed agreements to set up operations in OVC's low-altitude economic industrial park, focusing on fields like complete drone manufacturing, new energy batteries, digital economy, and artificial intelligence.

In recent years, OVC has attracted 69 low-altitude economic enterprises and established China's first low-altitude shared drone application demonstration area project, with 128 automated drone hangars and 186 drones deployed.

Moving forward, OVC aims to enhance low-altitude economic infrastructure, foster leading drone manufacturing enterprises, encourage the expansion of low-altitude flight training, and accelerate the opening of low-altitude sightseeing routes, so as to drive the high-quality development of the low-altitude economic industry.