WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. – Flower Delivery Express released video of what it calls its first successful drone test.
It was a 1/2-mile aerial delivery to a home in West Bloomfield.
"It's the beginning for us," said CEO Wesley Berry.
Berry said there is a lot to learn about drones, but their eventual use in the flower business is inevitable.
"Drone doesn't get stopped by traffic conditions," he said.
The first drone delivery on Saturday was a 5-pound package.
"Big challengers are battery life, battery capability and some of the navigation issues," said Berry.
It flies on GPS. Coordinates must be determined from the exact spot where the drone lifts off.
"We crashed one of them into a wall. Cement block walls do not go well with drones," said Berry.
That was at their own building.
Berry remembers working with his dad in the family business when orders came in by teletype. The Internet helped take his business national. Drones are the next frontier in technology, he said.
"We'll be able to purchase a rack of drones that we can recharge every night and pull them out during the day and attach packages on them and they'll be off and gone," he said.
The other unknown is the Federal Aviation Administration. New rules are being developed but the FAA has yet to support the commercial use of drones.
"Whatever (the rules) are, we'll be happy to comply with them" said Berry.
He believes drone deliveries are at least two or three years away, but he wants to be ready.