UAV Bell and Yamato announce strategic collaboration

The collaboration was concluded in respect of the future of civilian aerial logistics. With the partnership, both Bell and Yamato hope to become a global leader in logistics for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

A major goal for the companies is it, to demonstrate the integration of already existing ground logistic networks with vertical lift capabilities. Yamato and Bell hope to provide new and innovative services to worldwide customers.

Yamato is providing logistic solutions, while Bell is specialized on developing innovative autonomous vehicles. The companies hope to integrate their strengths and experiences to collectively create better customer experience for on-demand delivery services. Bell stated, that they expect to introduce their initial product by the mid-2020s.

Scott Drennan, Bell’s vice president of Innovation commented: “Through this joint effort, we are eager to set a new precedent for on-demand delivery and future large-scale logistics.”

Shinji Makiura, Yamato’s Management Executive Officer of innovation and business strategy added: “We have provided logistics services for almost a century and are excited to invest in future services with next-generation technical solutions in collaboration with Bell to provide higher quality deliveries to our customers.”

While Bell will be responsible for the design and functionality of an Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) system, Yamato will develop the pod, which then will be attached to the vehicle. This pod can also be detached, enabling better ground-handling capabilities.