Drones: they’re not just for advanced warfare and airport subterfuge anymore.
What happened: DoorDash has received approvals from U.S. aviation regulators to operate delivery drones commercially, which it plans to start doing in the fall. What’s more, the company unveiled that it’s custom-building its own drones to manage some of its deliveries — though it will maintain partnerships with third-party drone operators to carry out others.
Zoom out: Drones have been touted as the next hot thing in food delivery, providing a way to reduce reliance on human labour, make deliveries more accessible for remote locations, and provide reliable service for mid-range trips that aren’t financially attractive for couriers.
Top competitor Uber is currently testing a drone delivery pilot, while makers of delivery drones are proliferating, with startups even relocating to the U.S. to get in on the gold rush.
Why it matters: DoorDash building drones itself marks a big leap in the ongoing shift food delivery companies have made into becoming robotics companies, already evidenced by in-house robotics teams building their own autonomous robot couriers in recent years.
In Canada: Getting your Swiss Chalet chicken and rib combo air-dropped to your door is likely still some time away, as Canada lags behind the U.S. on drone regulations — new aviation licensing that would govern similar services only came into effect last November. However, if the concept takes off stateside, delivery giants will surely bring it here.—QH
