Yahoo Finance You could soon have your groceries delivered by drone, in minutes
Picture this: dinner is bubbling away, you’ve got only a few minutes left to serve when you realise - you don’t have any parmesan in the fridge.
You don’t have time to do a last-minute evening dash to the supermarket, so this time you’ll just have to miss out.
Or, you could order a drone delivery.
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Google’s drone business, Wing, will partner with several businesses to launch a new grocery delivery service to deliver items like hot coffee, medicine, fresh bread and food to homes.
The new service is due to roll-out within months in Logan, Queensland, but Wing plans to continue expanding beyond Logan to the rest of Australia as it takes on feedback and improves.
How does it work?
Users need to download the app and scroll through businesses, or use the search function, to find and place an order.
The order is then packaged and secured to the aircraft, the best route is chosen and the delivery takes flight.
A flight tracker helps hungry Aussies to see when their food will arrive.
Once it gets to you, the package is gently lowered, and the recipient doesn’t even need to unclip the food.
According to Wing, all of this can happen in a matter of minutes, with its fastest time from order to delivery just 2 minutes and 47 seconds.
The drones come with backup batteries and multiple hover motors, in addition to several navigation systems.
Why Logan?
The Queensland city is a hotspot for young families, many of whom enjoy the convenience of drone deliveries, Wing said.
“The convenience and ease of air delivery saves them having to bundle the kids up in the car to drive to the shops,” Wing said.
“Logan is also one of Australia’s fastest growing areas, we also believe our air delivery service can help reduce the traffic congestion and air pollution that often accompany such growth.”
Queensland’s Drone Strategy was also a selling point, with Wing considering the state at the “forefront of drone technology”.
Logan City Council will be consulting with community members in coming weeks.
Wing is currently using drones to deliver food like Guzman y Gomez products, bakery items, gelato, donuts and coffee to residents in Canberra.
It’s also in operation in Helsinki, Finland and is set to launch in Virginia in the United States.
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