Uber unveils new-look food delivery DRONE with rotating wings and six propellers for vertical take-off and landing
- San Diego, California, will be the first location to receive food by drone delivery
- Rotors will be vertical for takeoff and landing, moving forward for speedy flight
- Test flights will be carried out next year in time for a commercial launch in 2023
Uber Eats has unveiled its newest drones which will be used to deliver food in San Diego, California, next year.
The new drones feature ‘innovative rotating wings with six rotors’ – a design that has previously only been featured in flying car prototypes.
Uber Eats said it believes the rotating wings will help to avoid food spillages, as the design enables a smoother transition between vertical takeoff and forward flight.
Today, the company unveiled a new look for its drone, which utilises ‘innovative rotating wings with six rotors’, a design that’s usually only featured in flying car prototypes
The rotors will be positioned vertically for takeoff and landing, but move into a forward position ‘for increased speed and efficiency during cruise flight’, reports The Verge.
NASA veteran Mark Moore designed similar rotors for the company’s flying-taxi prototype which is also part of the companies Uber Elevate project – to take its services to the sky.
Test flights will be carried out next year in time for a commercial launch in 2023, reports The verge.
At the moment the Uber Eats drones can only hold a meal for two, but the craft has passed several internal reviews and will take flight by the end of the year, said Uber.
Test flights of both the air-taxi and drone will be carried out next year in time for a commercial launch in 2023
Uber have also unveiled futuristic concept images for ‘Skyports’ which will acts as stations where passengers could hail the firm’s flying taxis
The Federal Aviation Administration gave Uber permission to test drone delivery in San Diego, with a cruising altitude of below 400 feet – to comply with drone regulations.
According to Uber the drone will be able to load and deliver a meal for two in just eight minutes – and will only be able to fly 12 miles to make a delivery.
It is also expected to be able to hover in up to 30 mph wind speeds, reports The Verge.
Other delivery companies have also tried their hands at the niche market with Alphabet Wing, partnering with FedEx and owned by Google’s parent company, deploying its first drones in Virginia last week, reports The Verge.
The design and architecture firm’s vision of aerial ride sharing is a bold one that promises to ‘shift the way people experience cities’
WHAT IS UBER AIR AND HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
UberAir is a network of small, electric, aircraft that enable four-person ridesharing flights in densely populated areas. Artist’s impression shown
UberAir is a network of small, electric, aircraft that enable four-person ridesharing flights in densely populated areas.
The ‘electrical vertical take-off and landing vehicles’ (eVTOLs) differ from helicopters in that they are quieter, safer, more affordable, and more environmentally-friendly, Uber claims.
Users will order the aircraft through the Uber app much like they would one of the firm’s taxis.
Once they have selected an UberAIR ride, the craft will fly to the nearest ‘Skyport’ – a series of launch pads spread across the city.
Uber estimates that an all-electric, 200mph (320kph) ride across the skies of Los Angeles will be price-competitive with an UberX trip of the same distance.
Uber predicts that trips from LAX to the Staples Centre during rush hour can be reduced from up to 1 hour 20 minutes on the ground to less than 30 minutes using UberAir.
Its prediction includes UberX transfers to and from UberAir launch pads – the flight over LA itself will take around four minutes, the firm said.
The plan will rely on a network of ‘Skyports,’ which will allow the VTOL Uber Air craft to take off and land on rooftops across the country
