DoorDash on Wednesday unveiled its own autonomous delivery drone and announced plans to begin pilot operations in Northern California. The company’s new DoorDash Air system will initially serve restaurants including Chipotle, Popeyes and Momo N Curry, expanding its existing network of human couriers and autonomous delivery vehicles.
The aircraft features six slow-spinning propellers the company says are designed to reduce noise. According to DoorDash, its cruising noise is comparable to a passing car when measured at delivery height. The drone uses a winch system to collect and deliver orders and includes additional safety systems designed to lower the aircraft to the ground in the event of certain failures.
Designed Around Deliveries
“We started with what people order and how local businesses actually operate, then built the entire system from there,” Harrison Shih, head of DoorDash Air, said in the company’s announcement.
DoorDash estimates that approximately 80% of its typical restaurant orders are small and light enough for the aircraft to carry. The comapany says its Autonomous Delivery Platform evaluates factors including weather, distance, package weight and ground traffic to determine which orders qualify for drone delivery. It reported average delivery times of less than five minutes during initial testing.
Commercial Operations
DoorDash received FAA Part 135 air carrier certification in July, authorizing the company to conduct commercial drone deliveries. It has not announced a specific launch date or identified the communities that will participate in its Northern California pilot program.
The announcement comes as commercial drone delivery operators continue expanding their networks and the FAA faces a legal challenge concerning its environmental review of expanded drone delivery operations.
0 replies