Switzerland’s postal service has begun testing autonomous flying drones for parcel delivery. Real-world use could come within five to ten years.

Successful Silicon Valley drone startup Matternet doesn’t have the name-brand recognition (or deep pockets) of tech titans like Google (GOOG) or Amazon (AMZN). But while those companies have in recent months dominated the public conversation about using drones, Matternet has quietly deployed its own delivery drone technology in real-world scenarios in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach areas.

That’s right: robots are about to deliver our mail.

Silicon Valley startup Matternet wants to build the drones and delivery infrastructure to deliver pharmaceuticals and small items in developing countries that lack roads.

Watch the interview on Forbes.

They still aren’t delivering Amazon packages. But in Haiti, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, drones have helped rescue natural disaster victims – and transport medical samples and supplies

In the meantime, tech-savvy companies are forging ahead with services that promise to disrupt the parcel delivery industry. “Small flying vehicles will completely change the way we distribute small goods,” says Andreas Raptopoulos

A new report lays out the innovations we could see on our roads in the future

The centuries-old disease is crippling communities in one of the world's most untamed wildernesses. Now unmanned aerial vehicles could bring treatment to the country's far-flung reaches.

When Andreas Raptopoulos and his team got stuck in a 20-truck convoy completely marooned in mud while navigating between villages in Papua New Guinea, it was incredibly frustrating. It was also a validation of his work.

Silicon Valley sweethearts like ride-sharing service Uber are entering the fast-food delivery fray as others like Matternet develop futuristic drones.

MSF and US Company Matternet trialled the use of small quadcopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to transport sputum samples of patients with suspected TB from remote health centres to Kerema general hospital for testing as well as possibly transport results and treatments back to the facilities.

Drones aren’t delivering pizza just yet. But they could soon help save lives in places where health care is hard to reach

Greek entrepreneur Andreas Raptopoulos saw drones being used to deliver pizza and set about solving a real problem

A small Silicon Valley startup called Matternet has been developing drone delivery technology for several years now. The company’s co-founder and CEO Andreas Raptopoulos’ TED talk from this past summer about the potential to use small drones for delivery purposes has garnered more than 200,000 views since it was posted online last month — and perhaps helped to inspire Bezos himself

A start-up called Matternet is plotting to build a drone-based package delivery service in low-income countries. Many rural roads in developing countries become inaccessible for months during the rainy season, cutting villages off from nearby cities. In those cases, lightweight, autonomous aircraft could be the fastest and most cost-effective way to move high-value cargo across the countryside.

Andreas Raptopoulos and his colleagues at Matternet are attempting to create a network of drones that operate like the internet, only for tangible objects.

Drones have certainly developed a bad reputation of late. The unmanned aircraft have become known for their potential to take life. But if used properly, drones can save lives

In rural parts of the world, building a reliable road infrastructure seems night impossible. Andreas Raptopoulos has another idea: vast networks of drones

People told Andreas Raptopoulos it was a crazy idea when he and a few of his colleagues at Matternet started talking a couple of years ago about creating invisible highways for drones to deliver critical goods. But one billon people have to deal with lousy or nonexistent roads. And billions more in urban areas are tormented by traffic congestion. So Raptopoulos and his team forged on.

Speakers at the TEDGlobal conference have been debating the positive use of drones in society. Delegates heard how drones, more usually seen as military tools, are increasingly playing a positive role in civilian life. They are offering new ways of transportation and carrying out vital conservation work