On the 18th, the Institute of Transportation under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications held a field verification and launch ceremony for the “Deepened Application of Drone Logistics Delivery” in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City. A total of four domestic drone companies participated in the verification program.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-Tsai personally presided over the launch ceremony. He stated that, through the integrated project led by the Institute of Transportation, drone applications can be connected with Taiwan’s domestic industries to create a positive cycle, helping local companies enhance their research and development capabilities and enter the international market.
To accelerate the innovative application of domestic drones in transportation and promote the development of related industries, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications instructed the Institute of Transportation to establish a Drone Technology Industry Task Force under the Transportation Technology Industry Meeting. Promoting drone logistics delivery services has been listed as its top priority.
The Institute of Transportation, the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and Chunghwa Post have also jointly promoted the “Drone Integrated Demonstration Program,” assisting drone companies in applying for relevant logistics operation procedures while conducting on-site technical testing and verification.
Last year, the Drone Integrated Demonstration Program focused on offshore island logistics delivery between Donggang and Xiaoliuqiu by Chunghwa Post. This year, in order to strengthen the adaptability of transportation services in response to climate change, the program focuses on using drones to maintain postal delivery when roads and bridges are disrupted. Fuxing District in Taoyuan City was selected as the verification site.
Through on-site testing, the program aims to enhance drone logistics delivery capabilities, accelerate the real-world implementation of drone logistics application services in Taiwan, and assist Chunghwa Post in introducing drone delivery operations to provide safer and more reliable postal services.
This year’s theme is the use of drones to maintain postal delivery when roads and bridges in remote areas are interrupted. The test route was selected from Jieshou Junior High School in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City, to the Lala Mountain Scenic Area, with a total flight distance of 44 kilometers and a flight time of approximately 60 minutes.
The test site is characterized by long flight distances, winding mountainous terrain, and signals that are easily affected by interference. These conditions place greater demands on drone flight performance, making this test more challenging than previous programs.
Nevertheless, the project still attracted 21 domestic companies to register for participation. Of these, 13 passed the preliminary review, and 4 were ultimately selected for verification. The largest drone participating in the test had a takeoff weight of nearly 100 kilograms and was capable of carrying packages weighing approximately 15 kilograms.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-Tsai stated that the “Deepened Application of Drone Logistics Delivery” field verification held this time mainly focuses on upgrading drone operations from semi-automated flight to fully automated flight. The drones must also be capable of long-distance flight and high-altitude climbing.
In addition, unlike the previous phase of the project, which limited participating drones to a maximum takeoff weight of under 25 kilograms, this phase allows high-payload drones weighing more than 25 kilograms to take part in the verification.
Wang pointed out that through the integrated project led by the Institute of Transportation under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, drone applications can be connected with Taiwan’s domestic industries to create a positive cycle, helping local companies enhance their research and development capabilities and enter the international market.
Lin Chi-Kuo, Director of the Institute of Transportation, said that the biggest difference from last year’s project is that high-payload drones have been included as test subjects this year. This provides drone companies with opportunities to conduct on-site technical testing and verification.
In the future, the results may help Chunghwa Post gradually replicate this model in other remote areas for emergency supply delivery. In addition, the Institute of Transportation will continue to invest resources to encourage industry, academia, and research institutions to develop drone-related technology applications. Through the field demonstration and verification conducted by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the institute hopes to accelerate the real-world implementation of drone logistics delivery services in Taiwan.
