Unilever teams up with Terra Drone Europe to deliver ice cream

Unilever has joined forces with Terra Drone Europe to explore drone delivery services for its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand in New York.

The programme, which took place at Unilever’s recent annual investor event, was conducted as part of Unilever’s ice cream delivery service ‘Ice Cream Now’.

During the demonstration, a multi-copter drone was fitted with a delivery box designed to carry three Ben & Jerry’s mini cups. A flight path was set beforehand to allow the drone to carry the ice cream cups inside the Unilever’s US facility to a pre-decided destination. 

Ice Cream Now, Unilever’s delivery service for ice creams, was launched in 2017 and has since grown worldwide.

According to Terra Drone Europe, with regulations around future drone flights expected to become more flexible, Unilever is preparing for a drone logistics service that will deliver products to more customers faster.

As a result, Terra Drone and Unilever will continue to collaborate in the field of logistics services.

Yuki Ueno, director of Terra Drone Europe, said: “We want to solve serious problems in the logistics field, such as carbon dioxide emissions, with drones. As deregulation progresses worldwide, drone delivery services will also increase.”

Established in 2016, Terra Drone Europe is a part of Japan-headquartered Terra Drone Corporation and was formerly known as Skeye. The firm claims it’s the world’s largest provider of commercial drone services.