Enabling high-volume drone delivery for Walmart.
Due to existing government regulations, drone delivery was stuck at one pilot per drone. On the horizon were new ones that would unlock one operator to many drones.
I led the creation of a platform that enabled operators to oversee multiple flights at once, making high-volume delivery feasible for Walmart's growing drone delivery network.
Deployment Method:
Cloud-hosted command center with web & tablet-based interfaces
Deliverables:
Product strategy, service design, UX research & personas, wireframes and prototypes, high-fidelity UI design, design system, fleet-management tools, user training & support
Objective
When I joined DroneUp in 2023, Walmart was our primary customer. Together we were building a drone-delivery network aimed at serving millions of homes across multiple states pending new FAA legislation that would allow one operator to many drones.
The challenge was safe scalability through automation, all while meeting Walmart's expectations for fast, on-demand fulfillment. Early operations needed one pilot per drone, costing about $30 per package.
As the lead Product Designer, I helped create a platform that enabled operators to manage multiple missions at once, reducing costs and meeting Walmart's expectations for fast, on-demand fulfillment.
Top: Uncrew conceptual welcome screen with delivery Lottie animation overlay
Bottom: Uncrew Mission Overview
Contribution
In this high-growth, start-up environment I teamed and led the product design effort. The tasks included:
- User Research
- Competitive analysis
- Product definition
- UX/UI design
- Interaction design
- Design system development
- Prototyping
- Usability studies
- Product refinements
Features
- Multi-mission controls
One operator can manage up to 25 deliveries at once, while supervisors oversee teams and balance workloads. - Fleet & site management
Operators track drones, schedule maintenance, and configure launch sites with geofences and delivery zones. - Ad-hoc mission creation
Users can quickly create custom missions for tests or repositioning without needing developer input. - Scalability & efficiency
Automated route planning and one-to-many control enabled hubs to handle up to 500 deliveries per day. - Regulatory & safety compliance
Built-in airspace checks and safety workflows ensured FAA Part 135 compliance for commercial delivery operations.
Simulator configuration and management
Results
Uncrew was instrumental in modernizing DroneUp's drone-delivery business.
The platform turned the one-pilot-one-drone model into a scalable operation capable of supporting Walmart's ambitions. During the 2023-2024 period, DroneUp and Walmart completed thousands of deliveries and expanded to 34 hubs across six states.
Though Walmart later consolidated its drone efforts, Uncrew remains a core asset in DroneUp's portfolio, enabling multi-mission control and site management for commercial delivery customers and laying the groundwork for future autonomy initiatives.
Contact
Email:
kerry.p.dinsmore @ gmail.com
Call:
+1 520.390.3536
Location:
Tucson, Arizona