M’sian company delivers food to your doorstep via drones

Ever craved for nasi lemak but don’t want to leave your house or can’t stand long delivery times? We are truly living in the future because a Malaysian company has promised to deliver your favourite food to your doorstep using drones.

Average Drone in collaboration with Futurise will be using drones to deliver food around Cyberjaya Science Park in Malaysia. Average Drone Chief Executive Officer Hamdee Hamdan promises a 12-minute delivery time once the order is placed, according to an initial report by the Malay Mail.

The trial period starts by the end of June 2019 and will continue for three months. During this time, the drones will be delivering food within two-kilometers of the Futurise building in Cyberjaya.

Only select types of food are available for delivery during the trial period. These include noodles, rice, burgers, sandwiches, kuih, and fruits. The six-propeller drones, called ‘Express Food,’ can only carry a maximum weight of 800gm but are being improved to be able to accommodate three kilos. The drones have also been designed to withstand rain.

Each drone delivery costs RM2.50 (S$0.82) per trip on top of the food price itself. The company has also developed a mobile app that customers can use to place orders.

Hamdee added that, “It’s not so much about the price, it is all also about the time frame since many want quick delivery.”

Other companies such as Amazon have promised drone deliveries in the past but have been thwarted by several regulatory and technical obstacles regarding drones. The e-commerce giant has developed a new and more sophisticated drone called the MK27 which is “apparently safer, more efficient, and more stable” than older units. Amazon aims to push through with its drone delivery services soon.

Drone deliveries are ideally expected to potentially reduce pollution, but current studies argue that designing and maintaining drones for long-distance and heavy-duty package deliveries may consume more energy and resources in the long run./TISG