From the delivery of sushi to the transport of passengers: in Israel, the challenge of drones
Audio 02:29
Drones fly over skyscrapers towards a Tel Aviv beach.
Three machines deliver sushi, beer and ice cream, all controlled from a single command post in the heart of the city.
©
By: Michel Paul
2 min
Drones capable of delivering meals: a reality in Israel.
For now, this is only a test to verify this new technology, which could well revolutionize the delivery of medical equipment in urban areas.
And why not, also passengers.
Advertising
It is a very quiet beach in the north of Tel Aviv suddenly disturbed by a swarm of drones.
They land on a lawn.
They deliver sushi, beer cans and ice cream to the delight of journalists attending the event.
This is the third phase of eight of a large exercise that is taking place simultaneously at several sites in the Israeli metropolis.
But also, at the same time on the other side of the world, remotely controlled over 10,000 kilometers in Brazil.
“
We are trying to build a national network. It is not a drone that flies from one point to another. We want to create a management system that will allow many drones belonging to many companies to fly together in urban areas for different uses
, ”explains Daniella Partem, director of the Israel Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution which reports to the Agency for innovation. The idea is to help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by using electrically powered unmanned aerial vehicles.
"
We are doing this in an incremental fashion to verify the technology, to show that it is safe and under control,"
insists Eyal Billia, responsible for intelligent transport systems at Ayal on Highways, the company that manages the project.
We are building the project with baby steps, so that there is no danger to the public.
"
In coordination with the police and the army
Protection against intrusion from unidentified flying objects is also a concern.
"
Israel has very broad restrictions security,
remark
Libby Bahat of the Israel Civil Aviation Authority.
We go through every step with the various security forces, starting with the air force, the police and others to test this coordination.
"
For now, missions are limited to five kilometers with a load of about 2.5 kilos.
But from next year, according to the agency for innovation, drones will be able to fly within a radius of 100 kilometers, including medical equipment.
“
In four years, we already want, as part of our tests, to fly passengers, flying taxis.
Autonomous machines that can carry two to six people.
We are working on this option and it will be the next phase of this project,
”announces Reut Borochov, drones manager at Ayalon Highway.
From fiction to reality, or how to make your way some 100 meters above the traffic jams that paralyze the country which claims to be the start-up nation every day.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Israel