Partnership Overview

Uber Eats announced a new partnership with Flytrex to test drone deliveries for food orders in the United States. Flytrex, already delivering food in several U.S. locations and working with major retailers, will provide the drone technology for Uber Eats’ pilot markets. The collaboration is designed to give customers faster order fulfillment, delivering meals within minutes and easing road congestion.

Technology and Regulation

Flytrex is one of the four providers that have received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. BVLOS allows pilots to control drones without having a direct visual on the aircraft, expanding the range and efficiency of deliveries. The partnership includes an investment from Uber into Flytrex, giving the drone operator additional resources to speed up the rollout of its technology across the United States.

Strategic Vision

"Autonomous technology is transforming mobility and delivery faster than ever before," said Sarfraz Maredia, President of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber. "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." The statement underscores Uber’s intent to integrate drone delivery as a core component of its service offering, aiming for broader reach than previous attempts.

Future Plans

The companies plan to launch the drone delivery service for pilot markets in the United States by the end of the year. While Uber previously explored drone delivery through its Uber Elevate initiative and conducted test deliveries with McDonald's in 2020, this new partnership marks a more expansive effort. The collaboration seeks to deliver meals to two people per flight, leveraging vertical take‑off and landing capabilities that have been demonstrated in earlier Uber projects.

Usado: News Factory APP - descubrimiento de noticias y automatización - ChatGPT para Empresas