For the past week, we’ve been waiting for Google’s Project Wing to begin its bold burrito initiative: delivering tortilla-wrapped goodness by drone. Now, Google and Chipotle have started testing the service at Virginia Tech and onsite reporters are tweeting their impressions.
Alphabet’s Project Wing drones being tested in Australia
Most of it is as you’d expected. There’s a drone, and it’s delivering burritos. But receiving those airborne burritos doesn’t come cheap.
$5.99 delivery fee? But I can see the food truck where it’s coming from. Whatever – all in the name of science pic.twitter.com/tboA8RiSt7
— Jacob Demmitt (@jDemmitt) September 15, 2016
Chipotle says that this is a “unique test” and “everything about it is unique to this program.” However, it would seem that pricing is a point of interest as it’s the subject of several questions on a subsequent user survey.
It also looks like you get a free hat for filling out a survey.
Asked to complete a survey. About half questions about delivery fee price. The rest safety, satisfaction, etc pic.twitter.com/XradGmEZmb
— Jacob Demmitt (@jDemmitt) September 15, 2016
Obviously, this isn’t what drone delivery will look when its ready for the big time. Roanoke Times reporter Jacob Demmitt says the drone takes the same route over and over again, and there are safety nets everywhere. So let’s call it an elaborate PR stunt and leave it at that. But the argument that drone delivery would significantly cut back on costs doesn’t seem to be holding up, at least not for the customer.
At least you get some free chips and guacamole in the drone-delivering future.
I bet I can guess what’s in there… pic.twitter.com/JizZXhuo36
— Jacob Demmitt (@jDemmitt) September 15, 2016