Food Delivery Drones Get One Step Closer to Reality

Uber Eats will begin testing its new drone technology in San Diego in just a couple of weeks.

A programming note: This edition of The Lempert Report is the last for 2019 – we wish all our viewers, readers and friends a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Good Kwanza and Happy New Year. We will be back with our reports and a couple of new surprises on Monday January 6, 2020. In the meantime if you have any questions or comments – feel free to reach out – Phil@SupermarketGuru.com - I’ll still be working away.

Uber Eats will begin testing its new drone technology in San Diego in just a couple of weeks. Uber Eats will begin testing its new drone technology in San Diego in just a couple of weeks. While the new look for its drone utilizes “innovative rotating wings with six rotors” to better enable the transition between vertical takeoff and forward flight – that’s not the story. Nor is the fact that this looks like a mini version of Uber’s air taxi prototype that will be designed to carry passengers. George Jetson is smiling.

What’s interesting to me is that they are testing a hub system where the drones will leave – presumably – a ghost kitchen with our food and meet an Uber Eats driver at a particular location for the last mile delivery. Enabling faster delivery times, but still offering a more personal service, which for many is less scary than the idea of a drone at their door step.

It will have a total flight range of 18 miles without a delivery, and 12 miles with one. And the drone can hover in wind speeds up to 30 mph.

The drones are here get used to it.

Here’s to a great 2020!