Australian aerial delivery drone developer Flirtey and the University of Nevada, in Reno, have signed a R&D deal resulting in the university taking an equity stake in the Sydney-based startup.
Flirtey will develop its technology in collaboration with the institution in a bid to engage the US market once it opens up to commercial drone deliveries.
The partnership will allow Flirtey, which was founded by CEO Matthew Sweeney and engineering students at the University of Sydney, to develop technology in collaboration with the University of Nevada.
“Flirtey is partnering with the University of Nevada, Reno, to pioneer an industry, to develop safe UAV delivery technology, and to position ourselves as a first mover when the US commercial market opens up,” said Sweeney.
Sweeney is referring to the fact that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has yet to allow UAVs to operate commercially in the US. Nevada is one of the six locations in the US approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for UAV testing.
Interestingly, Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority was one of the first in the world to legalise commercial flights by unmanned aerial vehicles, which is why Google has recently been testing drones in rural Queensland.
