STUTTGART, GERMANY — German automaker Mercedes-Benz has unveiled an electric van equipped with package delivery drones. <br /> <br />The Vision Van is an electric vehicle with a range of up to 270 km. Its rooftop serves as a launch and landing pad for Matternet M2 drones, which can carry a package of 4.4 pounds. <br /> <br />All packages are scanned and sorted by robots before loading on to the van by a driverless handling vehicle. The onboard robotic shelving system then automatically locate and prepare the packages for the drone or the driver inside the cargo compartment. <br /> <br />The van is installed with innovative algorithms that can calculate the best delivery route for the driver, who would steer the van using a joystick. <br /> <br />The company said it will continue to explore the opportunities of innovative van-related business therefore it created a new organisational unit called Future Transportation Systems, which involve research teams in Stuttgart, Berlin and Silicon Valley.
