UberEATS drone delivery will start delivering in San Diego this summer. This innovation aims to test ways to connect the payload to customers in a congested urban environment where it is very difficult to fly to deliver the food until their front door.
Uber has announced that UberEATS will do food delivery service by drone to start delivering food for customers in the US. This flying delivery service will test in San Diego, California in this summer. Besides San Diego, there are 10 other cities to be used for UberEATS trials with drones.
UberEATS Drone Delivery Announcement
Uber was made the announcement through video conference at the company’s Uber Elevate. In this video, we can see that Uber place an UberEATS order from McDonald’s restaurant.
Before ready to fly, they placed a Big Mac Burger and Fries into specially designed packaging. Then, the food ready to deliver by air from the McDonald’s restaurant to the designated location.
Finally, on the location you have intended, the Uber courier will pick up the food then deliver it to the customer.
This innovation delivers Uber into the future of food delivery service. Both Uber and McDonald’s have been made a collaboration for months to create this special packaging.
Although it delivers by drone, Uber will guarantee that the food keeps in strong protection. It will keep the burgers still warm and keep the ice cream still cold.
Different then other drone delivery service, Uber is not planning to deliver the food directly to the customer’s homes.
The drone will land on the cars with special QR codes and the driver will deliver the order to complete the delivery process.
Advantages of Drone Delivery
By drone delivery service, the restaurant will load the food onto special packaging then placed on the UberEATS drone.
So, they can reach out to the delivery to a difficult area by car. With the drone, the food will fly through traffic congestion easily.
The speed of the UberEATS drone is expected to fly at up to 70 miles per hour. This is fast enough to make the same speed at a regular car moving. Also, with this speed, the drone will arrive at the destination faster than a car.
UberEATS drone delivery has a mission to figure out the problem of how to cover work in dense urban environments.
How will you still reach out to the customer in the crowded city without delay in delivery? This is because the food delivery service needs to quick to reach the customer so the food still delicious to eat.
UberEATS Drone Delivery Fare
The estimated fare for UberEATS drone delivery is expected to be similar to the UberEATS regular fee. For example, in San Diego, the cost can be up to $8.50 (£6.70).
So, it seems good to hear that the price of drone delivery is not expensive. Because the goal of this delivery is speed, so the price still realistic to compare with its benefit.
For comparison, drone delivery can reach the 1.5 miles distance in 7 minutes while the ground transportations reach it on 21 minutes on average.
For now, Uber still must complete some hurdles to get past the drone delivery test. They can launch this feature after getting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Kate Fraser, head of policy at Uber Elevate, says that it took about three years before drone delivery launch to other markets. Besides the USA, there seems still no word about UberEATS drone delivery in the UK.