Food delivery is a very convenient service, and now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has almost become a necessity. As food retailers worldwide were pushed to expand their food distribution systems, several took to trialing drones (like Amazon’s Prime Air) to reach more customers faster. Walmart recently started a pilot in America, and Tesco will begin one in Co Galway, Ireland, next month.
The supermarket chain has teamed up with drone company Manna to launch its six-month pilot. The drones will deliver up to 4kg (9lb) of shopping to customers within 30-60 minutes of ordering. It will fly at an altitude of 80 meters at 50mph (80km/h), reaching a 1.2-mile (2km) distance in only three minutes. When it comes to its destination, a cargo cassette filled with the ordered items will lower from the drone for pickup.
Claire Lorains, Tesco’s group innovation director, said:
We are interested to see how drones could be part of the solution to deliver to our customers, on-demand small baskets. If our trial with Manna is successful, we believe there is an opportunity to reach many customers through our stores, extending via our drone service.
Manna’s drones are already being used in a trial service running prescriptions and other essential medical supplies in Moneygall, Ireland.
Dave Lewis, Tesco’s chief executive, said:
They [Manna] have already proven the capability, the question is how do we take that capability and apply it to Tesco and that’s the detail that’s been worked on now before we get to the trial.
There’s another company delivering food in Ireland called Manna Aero. It services dark kitchens and restaurant chains, providing a three-minute delivery promise for a fraction of the cost of road-based deliveries. Meanwhile, in Japan, drones are being used to deliver freshly caught seafood to restaurants.
Aside from food and groceries, drones have also been delivering medical supplies to remote regions of Malawi, Africa, and the Isle of Wight. Meanwhile, in France, they’re being used to provide post office packages to dangerously hard to reach locations in the Alps.
We’re not at the point that you’ll be seeing a bunch of these little aircraft buzzing about in the sky any time soon, but it does seem likely that it could be the reality someday.
