Not a bird, nor a plane… but a Grasshopper

It’s safe to say that the world has never seen anything like it. What looks like a mix between an old-style perambulator and a mass hairdryer sale is, in fact, a heavy-duty drone that aims to put all other drones in the shade. Billed as a Flying Cargo Van, Grasshopper Air Mobility’s e350 model is being launched during the current Barcelona New Economy Week and the company is seeking investors to get its Grasshopper up and flying in the next couple of years.

The e350 Flying Cargo Van is the brainchild of Grasshopper Air Mobility – a very young start-up based in Barcelona, which was founded last year by Jakob Saalfrank. Having spent the past decade involved in supply chain warehouse automation projects, he was motivated to focus on developing fully automated, autonomous flying and driving vehicles, and doing away with human interaction in what he terms “the new age of logistics” – otherwise referred to in the company press release, as “the intersection of Industry 4.0, DeepTech and aviation.” Faster delivery times and lower costs are the intended outcome.

A unique Cargo Van in the Sky solution. Image: Grasshopper

Flying delivery vans
The result is an autonomous heavy-duty robotic drone: the ‘e350 Flying Cargo Van’. The number in its name refers to the payload it will be able to carry: up to 350 kg will be able to cover a distance of around 200 km, traveling at speeds of up to 220 km/h. Those are the statistics if the e350 is steered only using electric power. A hybrid hydrogen-electric system drive will be able to carry the weight a distance of up to 600 km. Either way, shipments will be able to cover a distance of 100 km in less than 30 minutes. The electric, fully autonomous VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone sets itself apart from conventional drones in that it can switch from flight mode to driving mode simply by folding in its wings, and huts offers efficient ground navigation for the last miles (driving distance of up to 10 km) and meters of the journey. It lands vertically and autonomously drives to its destination – even directly into warehouses or factories, where it not only unloads/loads automatically, but it also recharges its specialized cargo containers via a Charging and Loading Station (CLS) all by itself. No human intervention is required at all.

All by itself
The CLS infrastructure serves as a docking station and automates all processes after landing. It enables seamless integration into automated intralogistics systems as well as manual locations. Turnaround time is reduced by up to 90% through the automated process of unloading freight containers with discharged batteries and goods at one CLS, and loading a new container with fully charged batteries and pre-loaded freight at another CLS. By autonomously navigating logistics yards and performing last-mile deliveries in planned truck-free ‘cities of the future’, the e350 offers advantages that go far beyond conventional air cargo solutions, which are limited to air transport and rely on manual intervention for cargo handling, ground transportation, and battery charging or refueling,” the release states.

Much more than simply first and last mile operations
The launch at the Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW) and marks Grasshopper’s official entry into the logistics and advanced air mobility sectors with its fast flight-drive drone for seamless end-to-end deliveries, promising improved supply chain reliability, efficiency, cost and sustainability.
Jakob Saalfrank, CEO of Grasshopper Air Mobility, explains: “Our flagship drone, the Grasshopper e350, works like a flying delivery van and is the world’s only cargo drone designed specifically for Industry 4.0 applications. By autonomously handling the first and last mile, as well as all loading and reloading operations, we offer a fully integrated solution that increases delivery speed by 100% over conventional trucks, achieves a 99% on-time delivery rate, generates zero emissions, and automates the entire supply chain process for companies looking to modernize their supply chains.

Airborne by 2028?
Grasshopper’s plan is to have a scaled prototype of its e350 Flying Cargo Van up and running by 2026, followed by pilot projects running in 2028. It markets its solution, which promises to bring “unrivaled reliability, faster deliveries, and reduced costs” to a broad pallet of industries including pharmaceuticals, automotives, electronics, and other segments that have complex supply chains or high-value or time-sensitive shipments. To that end, the company is now seeking to work with “forward-thinking customers, partners and investors to shape the future of cargo logistics”.

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