After making history with the world’s first pizza delivery by drone from a New Zealand store in 2016, Domino’s is once again exploring the viability of commercial drone delivery on the island country in Oceania.
Domino’s has entered into a fresh agreement with its 2016 drone technology partner Flirtey (SkyDrop) to launch the second stage of their commercial drone delivery partnership in New Zealand. Delivery trials are expected to begin later this year.
But what have these companies been up to since their 2016 landmark achievement?
While the drone that made the historic delivery now sits pretty at a museum in Auckland, SkyDrop has been busy refining its technology.
The US-based drone company says it has managed to increase the payload capacity of its aircraft to up to 3.5kg, improved the precision delivery altitude to up to 60 meters, incorporated a parachute system for safety, expanded production in the US in conjunction with the FAA certification process, and received Part 102 Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certificate and Operations Specifications from the CAA in New Zealand.
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Domino’s, meanwhile, has been testing autonomous pizza delivery with ground robots in Houston. But the company stays convinced that aerial delivery is also essential to give customers a unique experience. As Domino’s Group CEO and managing director Don Meij puts it:
We invested in this partnership and technology because we believe drone delivery will be an essential component of our pizza deliveries in the future. This innovation means customers can experience cutting-edge technology and the convenience of having the freshest, hottest pizza delivered by drone from their local Domino’s store to their door.
SkyDrop Founder and CEO Matthew Sweeny is also thrilled to be beginning the next stage of commercial drone delivery partnership with Domino’s in New Zealand. Sweeny says:
We’re excited to work with local stakeholders in New Zealand, who have the opportunity to be at the forefront of the drone delivery industry globally. We look forward to expanding our leadership in drone delivery focused on the trillion-dollar store-to-door food delivery market.
Watch world’s first pizza drone delivery by Domino’s in 2016
Read more: Now more North Carolina homes can order food delivery via drone
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