Local communities across hundreds of Greek islands are set to gain access to a faster and more efficient way of receiving their deliveries. That’s because Dronamics is soon launching its first cargo drone delivery service there, transforming how essential goods reach these remote locations. With around 300 inhabited islands, Greece’s geography presents unique challenges for logistics and transportation, making it an ideal proving ground for Dronamics’ innovative cargo drone, called Black Swan. Capable of transporting payloads over long distances quickly and efficiently, the remotely piloted aerial vehicle (UAV) offers a faster, more cost effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional air and sea freight methods.
Already licensed to operate its Black Swan drone in Europe over water and unpopulated areas, Dronamics is on a path to scale up its cargo operations. Its vision is to develop an entire fleet of Black Swan drones to form the world’s first cargo drone airline. Operating a network of droneports and mobile control and cargo systems, the company wants to make same-day delivery possible, even to the world’s most remote areas, all at a cost-effective price.
At the same time, the Bulgarian startup company is working towards achieving type certification for its UAV, which would put it on par with manned aviation standards in terms of safety and performance. The company’s use of Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud plays a critical role in this journey, supporting it to design, engineer, simulate, and operate its drone technology, and comply with all industry regulations every step of the way.
Dronamics’ Black Swan drone can carry up to 350 kilograms (770 pounds) over distances up to around 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles). Even though it’s currently fueled by gasoline – the company is also exploring alternative, low and carbon-free fuels like SAF, biofuels and hydrogen – Dronamics claims that Black Swan is still up to 80% faster, 50% cheaper and produces 60% fewer emissions than other transportation methods.
To keep product development on track, Dronamics is managing everything from design to manufacturing within Dassault Systèmes’ single platform. This integration helps to make sure that each phase of the UAV’s lifecycle is tightly controlled and connected, keeping delays to a minimum and allowing for every part to be tested and refined before production.
The cloud-based platform also offers flexibility as Dronamics scales its operations. As the company’s needs grow, it can seamlessly add new capabilities – whether for managing manufacturing processes or overseeing flight and fleet operations – without disrupting existing workflows.
One of the key reasons Dronamics chose the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is for its virtual twin capabilities. It plans to use Dassault Systèmes’ advanced simulation capabilities to do everything from virtually testing the aerodynamics of its aircraft all the way through to simulating all cargo operations. This virtual twin will be used to refine the design of its drones and optimize every aspect at its drone ports.
“Using the virtual twin, we can simulate the cargo flows, including loading and unloading and cross docking, for example, to a last-mile delivery van,” said Yavor Nikolov, vice president of manufacturing and supply chain at Dronamics. “Testing all of this new technology in the virtual world before we invest in the infrastructure will help us operate much faster and more cost efficiently.”
Dronamics is set to make a substantial impact on local businesses and communities by providing a faster and more cost-effective air cargo solution. Discover how the company continues to innovate with Dassault Systèmes’ support and transform the logistics industry, making same-day delivery a real possibility for customers worldwide.
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