At a time when there has been interesting debate about last inch delivery methods on the drone delivery market today, another has popped up, with a promise for precise, inch perfect delivery of packages.

American drone delivery services provider DroneUp has been working with German software company Spleenlab to create a safe precise landing software that they reckon would change last inch delivery as we know it.

They have named the technology Safe Precise Landing Software.

Go figure.

To be clear, DroneUp uses the tried and tested winch system; where a package is safely guided to the ground while attacked to a rope.

But the trick with their new research is that they wat to ensure that the package will land on an area that has been scanned to ensure that no objects or humans or animals are in the vicinity while the package is being lowered.

As explained by Spleenlab, their creation uses the company’s AI-based Visionary Perception onboard software, which involves the use of sensors to determine a safe place for the drone to drop a package.

“During the practical flight tests, various safety scenarios were run through,” Spleenlab said in a statement.

“The so-called “Vertical Clearance” function was tested during package delivery and the landing process. The modular approach involves different sensors such as camera and LiDAR to check whether there are static or dynamic objects in the landing or descending area of the package. If the area is clear, the package to be delivered can then be roped down.

“From a height of approximately 100 feet, package rappelling and additionally Safe Precise Landing were tested. Initial integration testing was successful and the partners are continuing the evaluation of the system.”

Having started about one year ago and has involving onsite testing and integration into the DroneUp fleet, the companies believe their collaboration is an important building block for safe and autonomous delivery and landing by drone.

“Spleenlab’s software is incredibly promising for our efforts to increase automation while maintaining our high degree of safety standards,” said John Vernon, CTO of DroneUp. “We’re thrilled to be testing this technology today while we plan for the future of drone delivery.”

In addition, the company added that the onboard performance of its software was straightforward and resource-efficient, ultimately ensuring a trouble-free and stable delivery operation by drone.

Furthermore, it was allegedly demonstrated that the advanced AI algorithms enable highly precise and fully automated landing through permanent real-time calculations of sensor data. The software could be applied to all payloads and drones and therefore can be used for universal applications.

The VISIONAIRY® software suite also includes Detect & Avoid, GPS-Denied (SLAM), Collision Avoidance and many more that are planned to be successively included to the Drone Up Fleet.

“Together with Droneup, Spleenlab is pleased to set a major milestone for the future of fully automated drone delivery and to ensure that in the future customers will reliably receive their ordered goods directly to their homes within the shortest possible time.”