A2Z Drone Delivery Inc., an aerospace and engineering company, is opening its worldwide headquarters in Torrance. A2Z originally started as a drone delivery project at Brown University and, after initially operating out of a smaller office in Mar Vista, has moved to an expanded facility in Torrance as a base for research and development, product and software design, sales, marketing and customer support.
A2Z develops commercial drone delivery solutions, but a company spokesperson said that it sees residential drone delivery as “the tip of the iceberg” for application of its technology. In addition to direct-to-consumer delivery of goods, A2Z drones are being used for delivery of medical supplies in rescue operations, for water sample collection projects by government partners and delivery of parts and supplies to offshore oil platforms.
“Planting our headquarters in the aerospace capital of the world ensures we have ready access to the highest quality aerospace talent and suppliers and are able to continue the supportive relationships we have enjoyed with local government entities,” A2Z Chief Executive Aaron Zhang said in a statement. “From Torrance, we are able to provide in-person support for our customers and have ready access to nearby flight test areas for flight trials and customer training.”
Zhang co-founded the company in 2016 with Evan Hertafeld, who is now chief technology officer of A2Z. In addition to its new headquarters in Torrance, A2Z, which is privately funded, said it recently expanded its testing facility outside of Shanghai.
The company highlights that its drones allow payloads to be delivered from a high altitude, which reduces noise and mitigates safety and privacy concerns. Most of its models can deliver goods from 100 feet in the air. The company employs pilots but said that, where regulations allow, its drones can conduct autonomous missions along prescribed delivery routes. One of its newest models, the RDST Longtail, was released in August and is available starting at $20,000. The model is rainproof and can carry a maximum payload of 19.5 pounds.
“The RDST Longtail is further democratizing commercial drone delivery by allowing businesses of any kind to quickly and easily launch a drone logistics operation from delivering parts to offshore energy platforms, to deploying live-saving medical equipment to first responders right on scene,” Zhang said. “As residential parcel delivery continues to expand, the RDST Longtail is positioned as an accessible flight platform for the proliferation of this cost-saving, and more eco-conscious last-mile delivery method.”
