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Wing, Walmart detail drone tech and site design; council presses for noise, pad size and delivery estimates
Summary
Company presenters described nests (18 pads), a current drone that weighs ~12 lb with ~3 lb payload and an FAA-approved variant up to 5 lb; council asked for delivery-rate estimates, noise tests and precise placement of auto-loaders and fences.
Representatives from Wing and Walmart gave a detailed presentation to Highland Village council on the form and function of a drone delivery hub at the proposed Walmart site. Wing said its current drone weighs about 12 pounds and carries just under 3 pounds; the company recently obtained FAA approval for a larger model with up to a 5-pound payload. Josh Bucci of Wing said the company has modified propellers to reduce noise and that the nest’s low-profile, ground-level design was meant to minimize visual impact.
Council members pressed for operational specifics the city can regulate: proposed pad size (about 5,000 square feet noted during discussion), maximum of 18 drones in a nest, typical cruise altitudes of roughly 200–400 feet, and company estimates that a fully utilized 18-pad nest could support up to about 200 deliveries per day. Bucci answered technical questions about cameras and privacy, saying pilots do not access stored images and the downward-facing camera is used for obstacle avoidance.
