A 5G drone developed by Yunda Express [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

Yunda Express unveiled its self-developed 5G drones in Tonglu county, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Aug 14. The drones will help deliver parcels to mountainous areas that couriers have difficulty accessing.

Tonglu is known as the home of private express delivery in China, and the first 5G drone express delivery line will be established here. This line runs from Fenshui town to Zhangjiawu village, spanning about 10 kilometers.

The drone X470 is an X model with a 4-axis tuned propulsion system. It is designed for 5G plus terminal logistics system. It weighs 17 kilograms and has a maximum payload of 7 kg. The diagonal wheelbase is 1,570 millimeters and the maximum takeoff weight is 30 kg. Its maximum flight time is 30 minutes.

The maximum flight altitude is 120 meters and the flying speed is about 15 m per second. The drone has undergone rigorous testing and has flown more than 10,000 km. The total flight time is more than 17,000 minutes.

A 5G connection is adopted and enables the drone monitoring system to monitor the status of the aircraft in real time. It also makes human intervention possible in emergency situations.

The flight data is encrypted, and users can remotely pick up express deliveries through the drone. China Mobile has provided 5G independent networking for the drone line, which has improved the security and expanded the range of drone operations.

China Mobile will cooperate with the Hangzhou Innovation Research Institute to further study the application of drones in the logistics industry and to promote Tonglu's drone delivery model to other remote areas in China.