Pizza Hut To Begin Drone Deliveries In Israel
Pizza Hut To Begin Drone Deliveries In Israel
BY TYLER DURDEN SUNDAY, FEB 07, 2021 - 22:00
Drones will significantly revolutionize last-mile logistical
networks over the coming years. Companies from Amazon to UPS to Walmart and others are quickly working to
pilot test drones for last-mile deliveries, with the hope that one day these
autonomous aerial vehicles will be embedded in their supply chains to create
higher efficiencies.
The topic gains further significance in Israel, where Pizza Hut
will pilot test drone deliveries in June. The company partnered with Dragontail
Systems where the tests will be conducted at a single store in Bnei
Dror.
According to WSJ, Pizza Hut Israel won't be flying pizzas directly to customers' homes but instead will drop them off at government-approved hubs, such as ones that could be designated in parking lots. Delivery drivers will be able to retrieve the pies from the drone and complete the delivery's final stretch.
"Drone
delivery is a sexy thing to talk about, but it's not realistic to think we're
going to see drones flying all over the sky dropping pizzas into everyone's
backyards anytime soon," Ido Levanon, CEO and director for Dragontail
Systems, which will be handling the drone trial, told WSJ.
During the test, the country's Ministry of Transportation has
allowed an "air bubble" measuring 50 square miles north of the
country, where the Pizza Hut drones can safely operate.
WSJ noted that Pizza Hut's Bnei Dror store will be armed with a
fleet of drones that could serve up to 7,000 additional households.
Ahead of the big test, Dragontail will be operating its cargo
drones six times a day to perfect commercial operations. Pizza Hut and
Dragontail hope the flights this summer will be enough data for the government
to analyze to approve a more widespread drone delivery service at other
stores.
There's one problem, the transportation agency has restricted
the drones to a cargo payload of only 5.5 pounds. There is a plan to increase
the cargo payload to 22 pounds, which would allow it to carry multiple pizzas
and bottles of soda.
With more people shopping from home in the virus pandemic, the
need for faster delivery times has become a priority and concern for many
consumers. The proliferation of drones integrated into last-mile deliveries
will become a reality not just in Israel but in many other countries in the
coming years.
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/pizza-hut-begin-drone-deliveries-israel
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