Your food flying in? Uber Eats plans drone deliveries before year’s end
Uber has announced a partnership with Flytrex, a drone-delivery company.
Uber Eats says it is to begin trialling drone delivery in certain U.S. markets “by the end of the year”.
In a press release issued this week, the food-delivery firm’s parent company, Uber Technologies, said: “Uber aims to build the world’s most flexible, multimodal delivery network - expanding beyond cars, bikes, and couriers to sidewalk robots and now autonomous aerial delivery.”
“Entering the next chapter”
Uber revealed that it is to partner with Flytrex, a company that is one of only four drone-delivery firms authorized by the U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flying.
BVLOS drone operation occurs when the craft is not controlled by a remote pilot who can directly see it with the naked eye.
“With Flytrex, we’re entering the next chapter - bringing the speed and sustainability of drone delivery to the Uber Eats platform, at scale, for the first time,” said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s president of autonomous mobility and delivery.
“Together, we’ll reshape how food, convenience items, and other essentials move through cities.”
“The future of food delivery”
Noam Bardin, Flytrex’s executive chairman, said: “Autonomous drones are the future of food delivery - fast, affordable, and hands-free.
“Flytrex has already delivered over 200,000 meals to suburban households in the past three years.”
Uber already using delivery robots
Uber Eats’s venture into drone delivery comes as the company continues to expand its use of autonomous sidewalk robots.
Partnering with firms such as Serve Robotics, Uber has launched robotic delivery in a number of U.S. metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami.
Related stories
Times are a-changing, again
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment