Uber unveils food-delivery drone
Photo: Uber
Uber Elevate, Uber’s aviation division, unveiled a new food-delivery drone at Forbes’ Under 30 Summit in Detroit, according to various news reports.
The six-rotor UAV is vertical- and horizontal flight-capable, Uber Elevate head Eric Allison said at the conference. It has a range of 18 miles and an 18-minute flight time, and can carry enough food for two adults.
The drones will land in designated safe-landing zones, where human couriers will pick up the food and bring it to customers’ doors. The company might also land the drones on parked Uber cars (tagged with QR codes), which will carry the meals to their final destinations.
Uber’s Elevate Cloud Systems will track and guide the drone, as well as notify a delivery driver when and where to pick up the food.
The program is expected to roll out next summer in San Diego, where Uber Elevate has been testing urban aerial delivery via the UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP).
Uber’s vision of a city sky filled with Eats delivery drones. (Image: Uber)
About the Author: Tracy Cozzens
Senior Editor Tracy Cozzens joined GPS World magazine in 2006. She also is editor of GPS World’s newsletters and the sister website Geospatial Solutions. She has worked in government, for non-profits, and in corporate communications, editing a variety of publications for audiences ranging from federal government contractors to teachers.
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