We believe in elegant solutions and we believe in competition. When we (Hari and Vallab) launched Aersys in 2018, one company in particular was well on its way of using drones to automate e-commerce delivery. This company had innovation in its DNA and found a formula to disrupt industry after industry. While that quality is great in an underdog, what happens when everyone else falls so far behind that they can no longer compete? What happens to small businesses? For that matter, what happens to giant retailers and shipping companies who struggle to catch up to fast-moving young internet company? We don't feel like a world dominated by one company is a good idea. Aersys, at its core, is our way of evening the playing field. We want to make delivery, storage, and logistics automation accessible to everyone - not because it's easy, but because someone has to.

The AerNode is both a Click-and-Collect system and a NanoFulfillment Center that can robotically transfer packages to and from people and autonomous vehicles. Let's take a look at each.

Click-and-Collect solutions allow customers to buy items online and pick them up in store (referred to as BOPIS). Customers simply walk up to the kiosk, enter a pin they received by email or sms, and their order is brought to them by the machine. Think of it as a large vending machine. Smart lockers are a simple version of click-and-collect and are already used by many large retailers.

NanoFulfillment is a bit more complicated. Imagine a traditional distribution center where packages are brought in by trucks, sorted, stored, picked, and then sent out on a variety of vehicles. The AerNode acts like a distribution center but at a much smaller scale. People, drones, and rovers can drop off packages at the AerNode and people, drones, and rovers can pick them up. AerNodes are hubs that form the backbone of an emerging autonomous delivery network.

We will begin accepting pre-orders for the production AerNode in early 2022. Companies interested in participating in our private beta or collaborating on a pilot project should reach out to team@aersys.io.

We currently do not have a price point on the AerNode but unlike competing click-and-collect solutions, the AerNode's pricing will be made public during our product launch. The AerNode will be offered as an all-inclusive subscription to reduce up-front costs for customers.

No, Aersys does not own or operate any drones or rovers. The AerNode is designed to interface with most third-party drones and rovers intended for commercial delivery. We plan to offer integrated drone and rover delivery solutions to our customers in the future by working with partners in the industry.

Imagine a traditional distribution center where packages are brought in by trucks, sorted, stored, picked, and then sent out on a variety of vehicles. The AerNode acts like a distribution center but at a much smaller scale. People, drones, and rovers can drop off packages at the AerNode and people, drones, and rovers can pick them up. AerNodes are hubs that form the backbone of an emerging autonomous delivery network.

The AerNode is an incredibly flexible solution for several industries. Whether it's used as a click-and-collect solution or as an inventory storage solution or a NanoFulfillment Center, our customers will see that the AerNode is the most feature-rich and versatile tool for their needs currently in development. The AerNode is designed for industries including, but not limited to, retail, food, logistics, delivery, manufacturing, defense, hospitality, and medicine.