Manna set to launch drone delivery system in suburb

DRONE delivery start-up Manna is scheduled to launch in a Dublin suburb with a population of 100,000 amid plans for an international expansion.

Founded by Rathfarnham resident Bobby Healy, Manna has been trialling its drone delivery technology in Ireland since 2019.

Its most recent pilot has been in Balbriggan, where it teamed up with local providers such Blasta Street Kitchen, Bó Bainne, Applegreen and Tesco to provide fast and low-carbon deliveries to the 35,000-strong community.

The technology will reduce the need for delivery drivers.

In Balbriggan, the start-up aims to double the number of drone flights per day to 200 by the end of 2022.

There are currently four Manna drones at its site in Balbriggan, each of which has the capacity to complete around 75 deliveries every day, according to Healy.

At an official launch event attended by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar on August 10, Manna said it is eyeing a US expansion by the end of this year and a European one next year.

When asked about one of its drones that crashed in a public space in Balbriggan last month, Healy clarified that the “intentional flight termination” was a result of the drone processor detecting an anomaly in the form of excessive vibrations in one of the machine’s arms.

Security measures put in place in the system triggered the drone to deploy the parachute on board the aircraft, causing it to “glide to the ground at parachute speed, which is four metres per second” and damage itself without causing any safety issues.

In the coming weeks, the start-up is expected to reveal the name of a Dublin suburb with a population of around 100,000 where its next delivery site will open.