Tsuru Robotics CTO Nikita Rodichenko spoke in an interview with RIA Novosti about the future of drone delivery in Russia, as well as about the experience of our company in this field. In his opinion, mass transportation of goods by drones may begin in the coming years – even though there is no specific demand for such delivery in Russian cities yet.

Technologies in the area of drone delivery in Russia are actively developing, mass transportation by drones-couriers can begin in Russian cities in 2021, Tsuru Robotics (resident of The SKOLKOVO Foundation) co-founder Nikita Rodichenko said.

According to him, pilot projects with drone delivery may begin in 2019. “I think we have everything to carry out pilot projects in 2019. However, the real application, I think, will not appear until 2021, because there are many issues with current regulation. However, pilot projects may happen now, and in mass”, he said.

Rodichenko said that in 2016 Tsuru Robotics conducted a pilot project with the Siberian clinical center for the delivery of blood by drones through Krasnoyarsk. “We planned to continue to deliver the organs, but the project “hung”. We used both technologies for precise landing and flight in an urban environment. In Russia, oddly enough, there is no demand for the drone delivery in cities, although the topic is popular, and abroad – there is a great demand,” he said.

“We are still negotiating with the Siberian clinical center. Perhaps shortly it will be possible to repeat the pilot project because there are technologies for this, but the question is in demand, in expediency,” he added.

According to the expert, in some cases, the delivery of drones is beneficial to companies both in terms of availability and financially. So, unmanned systems are useful where there is no access for ordinary couriers, as well as on remote routes, for example, to drilling rigs or secluded settlements. “Now drones are already delivering medicines and food to remote facilities. Drones, not necessarily multirotors, which are capable of carrying tens of kilograms, will be an integral part of the logistics infrastructure,” Rodichenko said.