Prime Highlights
- DoorDash has launched DoorDash Air, a new drone delivery initiative with its own aircraft.
- The company received certification allowing commercial drone delivery operations in the US.
Key Facts
- DoorDash is a major food and grocery delivery platform.
- The company already operates a sidewalk delivery robot called Dot in several US cities.
Background
DoorDash is entering the drone delivery business with plans to build its own aircraft, marking a major expansion of its autonomous delivery efforts under a new venture called DoorDash Air.
The company announced the initiative this week after receiving air carrier certification from US aviation regulators, allowing it to legally operate a commercial drone delivery service within the country. Although the certification clears the way for operations, DoorDash has not confirmed a timeline for when deliveries by its drones will begin, saying the rollout will likely start with limited pilot programmes involving short flights within an operator’s line of sight.
To eventually allow drones to fly longer distances autonomously, the company will need additional regulatory approval for beyond visual line of sight operations, a certification already secured by some other delivery and logistics firms.
Despite launching its own aircraft programme, DoorDash said it would continue existing drone delivery partnerships with two other companies, which currently support operations in select US and international markets.
The new venture was developed within DoorDash’s robotics and autonomy division, the same team behind its sidewalk delivery robot introduced last year, which is now active in several US cities.
According to DoorDash’s co-founder and chief product officer, the company’s approach to autonomy is guided by identifying real customer problems rather than pursuing technology for its own sake. He added that the company had also built a software system to coordinate deliveries across human drivers, sidewalk robots and drones, deciding in real time which option best suits each order.