Check Out These Cool Cardboard Delivery Drones

We’re used to disruption of industries. Uber took on taxis, Airbnb is stealing market share from hotels and even some in the mayo industry, like Hellman’s and Unilever, are in a legal battle with innovative (though somewhat suspect) upstarts. We are used to change in the packaging industry. It goes with the territory, and new ideas are brought into the fold quickly. But can package delivery drones be challenged when they are not even, ahem, off the ground yet? Yes.

It’s strange that we’re already rethinking what drone delivery could look like, After all, delivery drones are still just in concept phase. And while giants like Amazon are investing massive amounts of time and money into their unmanned aerial delivery ideas, some innovators are already challenging expectations for the industry.

Allow The Ernest Buzz to introduce you to (stay with us because it’s about to get all acronym-y in here) DARPA’s latest development ICARUS (Inbound Controlled Air-Releasable Unrecoverable Systems) It’s that penultimate word that is causing people to rethink drones. See, ICARUS is a one-way delivery system that is meant to fly in, drop supplies into areas such as war zones or areas of upheaval after natural disasters, and then just drop to Earth and compost over time. ICARUS is not-motorized, biodegradable and works like a glider.

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While you don’t want a new TV delivered by a drone designed for crash landings, the medical and pharmaceutical relief, water and food would be a welcome sight after a disaster. And without the need for costly and timely logistical questions like “where do we put the helicopter?” and “what if there are no roads?” out of the way, these little corrugated carriers could save precious time and literally save lives.

They may look simple, but an idea like this will still have to solve questions like crush testing, water resistance and sustainability issues. But it’s this kind of innovative thinking to real-world challenges that makes us love what we do.

So go for it, ICARUS. You have the Ernest Packaging Solutions team behind you—we’re willing to help! After all, we crafted our own line of cardboard creations like snowboards, skateboards and surfboards in our Cardboard Chaos series. So we know a thing or two about seeing the possibilities of packaging materials.

If you’re looking for packaging to save the day, contact Ernest Packaging Solutions today. We’ll always be there when you need us with innovative solutions ready to tackle any challenge. It’s what we do.