Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL) is partnering up with Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE:CMG) in a pilot project to deliver burritos to college students.
The project--dubbed Project Wing--will use drones to deliver burritos to students on the campus of Virginia Tech. The drones will hover overhead while using a winch to lower the food down to hungry students. The food will originate from a food truck close to campus.
Google is working closely with the FAA in this test project. New FAA rules have made it easier to fly drones for all sorts of commercial tasks, although not for delivery services. If this pilot program is a success, it may lead to the FAA giving the green light to drones delivering all sorts of things.
A small test project doesn’t mean much, but this could be the first step towards a revolution in food delivery. Drones are cheaper, quicker, and more consistent than traditional delivery drivers. Drones don’t call in sick to work or spend time slacking off. They’re far better for the environment than cars. And perhaps most importantly for customers, nobody feels bad not tipping a drone.
Amazon is likely watching this project with interest. It has already announced plans to have drones deliver small packages to homes, a project it calls Amazon Prime Air. There’s no word on when Prime Air will be operational, but the company is currently testing it at a location in the U.K.
