New Zealand’s pizza lovers will be among the first in the world to have their favourite meal delivered by a drone, Transport Minister Simon Bridges said on Thursday.
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Pizza retailer, Domino’s has announced that it will start delivering food using drones following a new agreement with Flirtey.
Domino’s Group CEO and Managing Director, Don Meij said in a statement, “These trial deliveries will help provide the insight we need to extend the weight carried by the drone and distance travelled”.
Domino’s said the drones, which use military grade autopilot technology and encrypted communications, would zoom along at 30 kilometres per hour, flying at an altitude of approximately 60 metres.
“We are planning a phased trial approach which is based on the CAA granting approval, as both Domino’s and Flirtey are learning what is possible with the drone delivery for our products but this isn’t a pie in the sky idea”.
The drones will initially only be used in calm weather, with the company opting to revert to traditional delivery methods during periods of high wind and rain.
Weighing in at just under 190kg, DRU has a custom-built hot and cold food compartment and upon receiving a delivery, the customer inputs a code provided to them by Domino’s, which opens the top hatch of the unit.
The full trial has yet to be approved by New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority, but Domino’s and project partner, drone delivery provider Flirtey said they were working closely with regulators to make it a reality. “In addition, the government has reviewed the laws for driverless vehicles and small passenger service operators, to ensure New Zealand stays at the forefront of transport innovation”, said Bridges.
“Launching the first commercial drone delivery service in the world is a landmark achievement for Flirtey and Domino’s, heralding a new frontier of on-demand delivery for customers across New Zealand and around the globe”, said Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeny. “Our enabling laws and regulation means we have the ideal environment to trial all forms of technology”.
Subject to obtaining the appropriate approvals, the UAV delivery trial with the custom designed DRU drone is expected to get underway later this year.
According to Meij, the company had been investigating delivery options for a while, saying that it didn’t make sense to have a two tonne machine delivering a two kilogram order.
In the United States, drones will be allowed to make deliveries from August 29, but not across state lines or over people.
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“Domino’s is all about providing customers with choice and making customer’s lives easier”. “Adding innovation such as drone deliveries means customers can experience cutting-edge technology and the convenience of having their Supreme pizza delivered via air to their door”.
