14 DAY TRIAL // Pizza delivery used to be pretty simple in the past – you just had to call your favorite pizza place, order assorted toppings, and twenty minutes later the pizza guy would show up at your doorstep. But with the latest technological advancements, pizza delivery has gotten fancier.
A Mumbai-based eatery has recently taken the aerial route to deliver a pizza using an unmanned drone. Last week, Francesco's Pizzeria conducted a test flight of a four-rotor drone and successfully delivered a pizza to a customer located about a mile (1.5km) away from the restaurant.
The food outlet’s Chief Executive Mikhel Rajani told the Times of India that the delivery was only a test, but, given the positive results, he suggested that using drones could turn into a regular delivery option in a few years.
“What we have done now will be common place in the next four-five years,” he said. The test-flight was done on May 11, when the unnamed drone took off with the order from the outlet's branch at Lower Parel in Mumbai and delivered it to a high-rise building in Worli. According to Mr. Rajani, it was the first time that such a machine was used for this purpose in the country.
The distance was covered in about 10 minutes, which was about one-third of the deadline for delivery. This means the new delivery option would save time and money for this kind of businesses.
Although there are some limitations, as the drone has a specific carrying capacity and it is not allowed to fly above 400 foot (121 meter) altitude, in the long run, it could prove an economical solution. Drones like the one used by Francesco's Pizzeria retail for around $2,000 (€1,460).
“The current system of delivery through motorcycles is very cost-intensive as it includes fuel costs, bike maintenance and salary for the delivery boys. If drones are used for delivery, it could bring down our operation costs a lot,” a spokesperson of the outlet said, as cited by Daily Mail.
However, the unusual service could cause serious security concerns for the Mumbai Police. After the delivery was executed, a senior police officer said, “We can't have objects flying across the city. It is scary. Unless there is proper police, security mechanism in place, such objects should not be allowed to operate.”
We all want our food to be delivered as soon as possible, but we have to be realistic and admit that it may still be some time before the flying machine is used regularly for this purpose, especially because the air delivery system does not have the government's approval yet.
When they should figure out how to make digital food, will we be able to download it directly into our stomachs?