Weiterstadt (dpa/lhe) – The Hessian drone manufacturer Wingcopter is working with the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (UAS) to test the delivery of food in rural areas, among other things. In the pilot project, everyday goods are to be flown by drone from a medium-sized center to smaller surrounding towns and then delivered to customers by cargo bike, the company in Weiterstadt announced on Wednesday. The first flights in southern Hesse are planned for spring 2023. “We expect that the use of delivery drones will improve the connection to rural areas again,” said Kai-Oliver Schocke from the UAS. The Federal Ministry of Transport is funding the project with almost 500,000 euros.