Valqari Granted US Patent for Hands-Free Drone Loading from Landing Pads

Valqari has secured U.S. Patent No. US12528599B2, protecting a method that enables drones to be loaded and dispatched from secured landing pads with no human intervention. For drone racing, where pit stops and relay-style handoffs can decide events, the patent promises a new class of hands-free pit technology that could speed sorties, tighten turnaround times, and reshape team tactics.

The granted claim set covers GPS-based navigation, pad identification via unique ID signals, automated access to secure storage compartments, and mechanical transfer of a package from pad to drone. Valqari frames the intellectual property as an expansion from autonomous receiving to outbound deployment - what the company calls full "send-to-end" automation. The patent is described as a continuation of an original filing whose priority date is January 2, 2014. Valqari CEO Ryan Walsh said, "The original application envisioned drones not only receiving payloads, but also sending them. This is a key area where our systems have already been operating, and it was critical to expand our IP protection accordingly. As the market matures, covering the entire distribution chain—from send to end—is essential, and this patent is a major milestone for Valqari."

Technical features in the patent read like a pit-crew redesign for the racing community: GPS guidance for precision approach, unique-pad signaling so a pilot or autonomous craft finds its assigned bay, automated access to secure compartments that could house batteries or replacement modules, and mechanical transfer mechanisms that place payloads or power packs directly onto a vehicle. Those elements translate into faster in-race service windows and the potential for fully autonomous relay legs in multi-drone endurance formats.

Valqari’s product portfolio already includes window-mounted delivery stations, rotating-wall reveals, standalone ground stations, solar charging, and temperature-controlled receptacles. Ottomate reported that a single-family station was previously pitched at $1,500, and that launch timing was pushed back to Q1 of next year. Ottomate also summarized the company’s core product: "Valqari makes landing stations that drones can land on and drop off their payload into a secure locker. Once secured, goods can be retrieved by the recipient or even a third party delivery person (think: DoorDash driver picking up a burrito and taking it the final mile) using a mobile app."

Public accounts vary on portfolio metrics. Some outlets report this as Valqari’s 17th U.S. patent while others cite it as the company's third U.S. patent, and several sources say Valqari holds 28 patents worldwide with utility patents in multiple countries and 144 citations to its patents. Those discrepancies underscore that legal lineage and portfolio counts remain a material detail for rivals and league organizers weighing licensing or rule changes.

For the racing scene, the immediate implication is tactical: autonomous pit lanes and hands-free reloads could produce tighter intervals and new formats where pilot skill pairs with system reliability. For the industry, the patent strengthens Valqari’s position in last-inch infrastructure and opens licensing and technology-transfer pathways. Socially, automation of loading and dispatch touches labor models in last-mile delivery as well as safety and access concerns in urban race settings. Next steps include product pilots, clarification of patent family lineage, and how quickly race organizers or delivery operators integrate hands-free pads into real-world circuits and courses.