Zing Drone Delivery app

[ianannase]

The Zing Drone Delivery app allows users to select a point they would like to deliver to. The drone takes off and ascends to 200 feet on autopilot. Next the drone flies directly to the dropoff location and descends to 15 feet autonomously. After descending to 15 feet, the pilot has manual control to drop off the package. Finally, once it is is safe to take off, the drone returns home and lands autonomously.

Zing App Demo (No Longer has Pickup location, only dropoff location)

Zing Drone Delivery Download (Free on the Apple App Store)

 

[PhantomFandom]

I am a bit confused here as to the purpose of the post.

I did join Zing months ago, out of curiosity. I get occasional E-Mails and offers, but there is no indication of the progress (if any) that Zing has been making towards their goal of delivering products to customers via drone.

With the latest FAA Re-authorization Act, the 2 major areas of concern still remain. Those are flying autonomously BVLOS and flying over people. It seems that there is no way that a Part 107 pilot with a current unmodified DJI drone model will ever be able to satisfy those requirements. Your website does make it seem that is all that will be required (along with your attached product basket). In fact with the attached basket and payload, even one of the available parachutes for a Phantom 4, would most likely fail at meeting FAA requirements.

So where is Zing in the process of getting any sort of traction in overcoming these roadblocks?

 

[ianannase]

I am a bit confused here as to the purpose of the post.

I did join Zing months ago, out of curiosity. I get occasional E-Mails and offers, but there is no indication of the progress (if any) that Zing has been making towards their goal of delivering products to customers via drone.

With the latest FAA Re-authorization Act, the 2 major areas of concern still remain. Those are flying autonomously BVLOS and flying over people. It seems that there is no way that a Part 107 pilot with a current unmodified DJI drone model will ever be able to satisfy those requirements. Your website does make it seem that is all that will be required (along with your attached product basket). In fact with the attached basket and payload, even one of the available parachutes for a Phantom 4, would most likely fail at meeting FAA requirements.

So where is Zing in the process of getting any sort of traction in overcoming these roadblocks?

You have legitimate concerns about unmodified DJI drones not being able to pass the FAA's requirements. While ParaZero parachutes are being developed it will probably require drones to have a couple levels of redundancy to prevent a crash. Drones like the Matrice 600 with ParaZero systems are likely going to be the first DJI drones to pass the FAA's tests for drone delivery in sparsely populated areas.

Another key is to develop a UTM software that will prevent drones from causing any kind of damage in the first place by taking predetermined safe routes. This UTM software is being actively worked on by NASA and companies like KittyHawk.

When the FAA releases specific guidelines for the requirements for a delivery drone, it is very likely that DJI will build an enterprise drone to those specs.

Other large drone delivery companies are making major progress. Flirtey just received BVLOS authorization to do AED drone deliveries. Wing, which has completed over 6,000 drone deliveries in Australia, just got accepted into the FAA's commercial drone program.

The regulatory landscape is going to be very different by the end of 2019:

§107.31 Visual line of sight aircraft operation.
NASA UTM Program - Complete this September
NASA UPP Program - 10 Testing Sites for Commercial Drone Operations
FAA IPP Program - 13 Testing Sites for Commercial Drone Operations
3/12/19 - FAA Grant's Flirtey BVLOS Waiver

§107.39 Operation over human beings and § 107.29 Daylight operation.
1/17/19 - New FAA Rules Would Let Drone Pilots Fly at Night and Over People Without a Waiver

§107.41 Operation in certain airspace.
LAANC - 90 second approval within all classes of airspace instead of 90 days.

 

[PhantomFandom]

You have legitimate concerns about unmodified DJI drones not being able to pass the FAA's requirements. While ParaZero parachutes are being developed it will probably require drones to have a couple levels of redundancy to prevent a crash. Drones like the Matrice 600 with ParaZero systems are likely going to be the first DJI drones to pass the FAA's tests for drone delivery in sparsely populated areas.

Another key is to develop a UTM software that will prevent drones from causing any kind of damage in the first place by taking predetermined safe routes. This UTM software is being actively worked on by NASA and companies like KittyHawk.

When the FAA releases specific guidelines for the requirements for a delivery drone, it is very likely that DJI will build an enterprise drone to those specs.

Other large drone delivery companies are making major progress. Flirtey just received BVLOS authorization to do AED drone deliveries. Wing, which has completed over 6,000 drone deliveries in Australia, just got accepted into the FAA's commercial drone program.

The regulatory landscape is going to be very different by the end of 2019:

§107.31 Visual line of sight aircraft operation.
NASA UTM Program - Complete this September
NASA UPP Program - 10 Testing Sites for Commercial Drone Operations
FAA IPP Program - 13 Testing Sites for Commercial Drone Operations
3/12/19 - FAA Grant's Flirtey BVLOS Waiver

§107.39 Operation over human beings and § 107.29 Daylight operation.
1/17/19 - New FAA Rules Would Let Drone Pilots Fly at Night and Over People Without a Waiver

§107.41 Operation in certain airspace.
LAANC - 90 second approval within all classes of airspace instead of 90 days.

Yes all true and all known. However the original question remains. Zing marketing is very much directed at the common DJI pilot, and most of your marketing material shows a Mavic Pro with attached payload basket. The pictured Mavic has no other safety equipment of any kind. Your Kickstarter packages are also for a payload basket which attaches to a Mavic Pro. So at the very least this is misleading and disingenuous. You will have Mavic Pro pilots contributing to your cause and purchasing a payload basket which they will never be able to use for the intended purpose of making money by delivering products to clients.

Nowhere do you state on your webpage and marketing materials that a pilot will most likely need a Matrice! That takes it completely out of the realm of the average Part 107 pilot and puts it squarely in the area of a commercial enterprise.

 

[ianannase]

Yes all true and all known. However the original question remains. Zing marketing is very much directed at the common DJI pilot, and most of your marketing material shows a Mavic Pro with attached payload basket. The pictured Mavic has no other safety equipment of any kind. Your Kickstarter packages are also for a payload basket which attaches to a Mavic Pro. So at the very least this is misleading and disingenuous. You will have Mavic Pro pilots contributing to your cause and purchasing a payload basket which they will never be able to use for the intended purpose of making money by delivering products to clients.

Nowhere do you state on your webpage and marketing materials that a pilot will most likely need a Matrice! That takes it completely out of the realm of the average Part 107 pilot and puts it squarely in the area of a commercial enterprise.

There are still many use cases for the Mavic and it is not outside the realm of possibilities for it to get approved. If it can be proven that with a securely fastened basket on the Mavic and a lightweight payload that the likeliness of the crash is the same as standard drone photography, then it will likely be approved. Golf course deliveries, boat deliveries, and deliveries in sparsely populated areas are all deliveries with an extremely minor amount of danger. With our Mavic basket the drone handles and flies just like normal. We are going to attempt to get the basket approved for the Mavic for small deliveries.

 

[PhantomFandom]

There are still many use cases for the Mavic and it is not outside the realm of possibilities for it to get approved. If it can be proven that with a securely fastened basket on the Mavic and a lightweight payload that the likeliness of the crash is the same as standard drone photography, then it will likely be approved. Golf course deliveries, boat deliveries, and deliveries in sparsely populated areas are all deliveries with an extremely minor amount of danger. With our Mavic basket the drone handles and flies just like normal. We are going to attempt to get the basket approved for the Mavic for small deliveries.

The FAA mandates say nothing about the likelihood of a crash. That in no way factors into the equation. The requirement is based on the impact rating (in foot pounds) and the degree of penetration of the skin that would occur in a direct impact.

The first one is directly affected by the weight of the craft. A Mavic Pro with a payload will have a heavier impact than one without (in most cases).

The second one is directly affected by exposed spinning props and other sharp edges. Without prop cages or a fail-safe mechanism to stop the props, the Mavic Pro in any configuration will most likely fail this test. I haven't seen any testing done of Mavic or Phantom props in reference to contacting human skin, but I would think that they may do a fair amount of damage. The sharp corners of that pyramid basket would if anything probably cause more damage to a person.

Sorry to be contrarian, but I just don't see the viability of using these consumer drones for this task, without heavy modifications.

 

[ianannase]

The FAA mandates say nothing about the likelihood of a crash. That in no way factors into the equation. The requirement is based on the impact rating (in foot pounds) and the degree of penetration of the skin that would occur in a direct impact.

The first one is directly affected by the weight of the craft. A Mavic Pro with a payload will have a heavier impact than one without (in most cases).

The second one is directly affected by exposed spinning props and other sharp edges. Without prop cages or a fail-safe mechanism to stop the props, the Mavic Pro in any configuration will most likely fail this test. I haven't seen any testing done of Mavic or Phantom props in reference to contacting human skin, but I would think that they may do a fair amount of damage. The sharp corners of that pyramid basket would if anything probably cause more damage to a person.

Sorry to be contrarian, but I just don't see the viability of using these consumer drones for this task, without heavy modifications.

Here is the official research report from Assure:
http://www.assureuas.org/projects/deliverables/a4/FAA-ASSURE_Ground_Collision_Research.pdf

ParaZero Phantom system:

In order for a Category 2 drone such as the Mavic or Phantom to pass the two tests you mention, it could use one of these ParaZero chutes. The system stops the props to prevent lacerations and greatly reduces the force of impact. We would need to test it to see if it falls under the guidelines with one of these systems.

 

[Former Member]

Anyone got theirs yet?

 

[Possums]

Yeah baby - I'm waiting on mine!
But ....I would like to buy a spark that will actually do hand gestures. As you know, I have several - that are marginal. If anybody has one that does a palm launch and fly-away or "fly-back" consistently, I would be very interested in buying it (just need the spark - not the controller) or will trade two sparks for one do the hand gestures correctly.

 

[Flyography]

I have mine and love it, been testing a lot waiting for the android version, maybe I will invest in an apple device instead

 

[raylo32]

You could always do similar with Litchi and one of the drone fishing devices attached to your M2. The drop would have to be manual so within range.... and also within LOS to be legal.

Mavic 2 Dual - Electronic Payload Release For DJI MAVIC 2 PRO & ZOOM

Mavic 2 Pro & Zoom Gannet bait release, Turning your Mavic 2 into a fishing drone in seconds. Mavic 2 videos to follow as soon as we have...

dronefishing.com

 

[Phito11]

I'm a little confused as to what Zing Drone Delivery actually is.
I applied via Indeed.com, so I am assuming that this was a local company that you would go to work for at their office location using their drones to make deliveries for them. But it's starting to look like this is far from what they are.

The research that I am doing seems to be that Zing is more or less like DroneBase, where you sign up with them, then wait for a job to come your way, when those jobs do pop up you have to use your own drone to make deliveries for them. Starting to look a little sketchy to me. Can anybody please clarify if this is what this company is trying to do?

 

[Thomas B]

I'm a little confused as to what Zing Drone Delivery actually is.
I applied via Indeed.com, so I am assuming that this was a local company that you would go to work for at their office location using their drones to make deliveries for them. But it's starting to look like this is far from what they are.

The research that I am doing seems to be that Zing is more or less like DroneBase, where you sign up with them, then wait for a job to come your way, when those jobs do pop up you have to use your own drone to make deliveries for them. Starting to look a little sketchy to me. Can anybody please clarify if this is what this company is trying to do?

Use your drone to deliver.... seems not to have been accepted well here, hence yours being the first post on the thread in 7 months.

 

[Meta4]

Can anybody please clarify if this is what this company is trying to do?

From their FAQ:
How does Zing work?
Zing is a three sided marketplace. There is an app for users, an app for pilots, and an admin panel for businesses. When a user orders items from a business, a drone pilot who has been assigned there for the day is notified. Once the items have been prepared, the drone pilot will place the drone down and use the app to start the delivery. The drone pilot loads the items on the drone and taps launch to begin flying autonomously using Zing’s flight software. The pilot then drops off the items to the user who ordered them. Lastly, the drone flies back to the business and lands autonomously where the drone pilot puts in a new battery to prepare for the next delivery.

Yes, it's sketchy.
Their original concept was drone flyers flying from home, launching and flying to the pickup restaurant, trusting someone to load their drone, launching again and flying to the customer, trusting the customer to unload and flying home again.
Clearly that was not going to work.
Now they have the drone pilot sitting around the restaurant and flying from there.
There are still some gaping holes in the concept which has been around for a couple of years but still hasn't "taken off".
With their latest plan to base the flyer at the restaurant, your only potential customers would be that one restaurant's customers and only those that live within VLOS of the shop?
And that's before you consider the issues of loading a small drone with a weighty/wind-catching cargo and a whole lot of potential disasters with the delivery to the customer.

 

[DroningOn]

From their FAQ:
How does Zing work?
Zing is a three sided marketplace. There is an app for users, an app for pilots, and an admin panel for businesses. When a user orders items from a business, a drone pilot who has been assigned there for the day is notified. Once the items have been prepared, the drone pilot will place the drone down and use the app to start the delivery. The drone pilot loads the items on the drone and taps launch to begin flying autonomously using Zing’s flight software. The pilot then drops off the items to the user who ordered them. Lastly, the drone flies back to the business and lands autonomously where the drone pilot puts in a new battery to prepare for the next delivery.

Yes, it's sketchy.
Their original concept was drone flyers flying from home, launching and flying to the pickup restaurant, trusting someone to load their drone, launching again and flying to the customer, trusting the customer to unload and flying home again.
Clearly that was not going to work.
Now they have the drone pilot sitting around the restaurant and flying from there.
There are still some gaping holes in the concept which has been around for a couple of years but still hasn't "taken off".
With their latest plan to base the flyer at the restaurant, your only potential customers would be that one restaurant's customers and only those that live within VLOS of the shop?
And that's before you consider the issues of loading a small drone with a weighty/wind-catching cargo and a whole lot of potential disasters with the delivery to the customer.

If you really want to laugh, go back and look at the threads when this thing was announced and see all the people here touting this as a “great idea“. And then see how the people who called it out as a scam from the beginning were shouted down by all the “smart guys”. It’s hilarious and sad at the same time

 

[xspwhite]

What if they want two cheeseburgers? Do you make two trips? Also, how do you carry the pops/soda? A bicycle with a basket would probably be much easier.

 

[Phito11]

From their FAQ:
How does Zing work?
Zing is a three sided marketplace. There is an app for users, an app for pilots, and an admin panel for businesses. When a user orders items from a business, a drone pilot who has been assigned there for the day is notified. Once the items have been prepared, the drone pilot will place the drone down and use the app to start the delivery. The drone pilot loads the items on the drone and taps launch to begin flying autonomously using Zing’s flight software. The pilot then drops off the items to the user who ordered them. Lastly, the drone flies back to the business and lands autonomously where the drone pilot puts in a new battery to prepare for the next delivery.

Yes, it's sketchy.
Their original concept was drone flyers flying from home, launching and flying to the pickup restaurant, trusting someone to load their drone, launching again and flying to the customer, trusting the customer to unload and flying home again.
Clearly that was not going to work.
Now they have the drone pilot sitting around the restaurant and flying from there.
There are still some gaping holes in the concept which has been around for a couple of years but still hasn't "taken off".
With their latest plan to base the flyer at the restaurant, your only potential customers would be that one restaurant's customers and only those that live within VLOS of the shop?
And that's before you consider the issues of loading a small drone with a weighty/wind-catching cargo and a whole lot of potential disasters with the delivery to the customer.

Thanks Meta4, that's kinda what I figured.

 

[PhantomFandom]

If you really want to laugh, go back and look at the threads when this thing was announced and see all the people here touting this as a “great idea“. And then see how the people who called it out as a scam from the beginning were shouted down by all the “smart guys”. It’s hilarious and sad at the same time

I called them out multiple times right on this thread and just get some run-around answers. There have been (and still are) a few "snake oil salesmen" on these sites. They spout off claims without any factual basis and without any scientific proof of their claims.

Two come to mind immediately but I won't mention them since I've called them out multiple times on the forums.