Flytrex and Uber Eats will begin testing drone food delivery in select U.S. markets by year-end, potentially reducing delivery times to just minutes for customers.

Abstract--Drones have recently emerged as a faster, safer, and cost-efficient way for last-mile deliveries of parcels, particularly for urgent medical deliveries highlighted during the pandemic. This paper addresses a new challenge of multi-parcel delivery with a swarm of energy-aware drones, accounting for time-sensitive customer requirements. Each drone plans an optimal multi-parcel route within its battery-restricted flight range to minimize delivery delays and reduce energy consumption. The problem is tackled by decomposing it into three sub-problems: (1) optimizing depot locations and service areas using K-means clustering; (2) determining the optimal flight range for drones through reinforcement learning; and (3) planning and selecting multi-parcel delivery routes via a new optimized plan selection approach. T o integrate these solutions and enhance long-term efficiency, we propose a novel algorithm leveraging actor-critic-based multi-agent deep reinforcement learning. Extensive experimentation using realistic delivery datasets demonstrate an exceptional performance of the proposed algorithm. We provide new insights into economic efficiency (minimize energy consumption), rapid operations (reduce delivery delays and overall execution time), and strategic guidance on depot deployment for practical logistics applications. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UA Vs), commonly known as drones, have gained significant attention as a solution for last-mile delivery, especially in recent years [1]. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities of traditional delivery methods, as deliverymen risk spreading the virus. This was particularly problematic in quarantine zones, where customers faced difficulties in accessing logistics services [2], [3]. In contrast, drones offer a safer and more flexible alternative. Due to their high mobility, carrying capacity, and accurate GPS navigation, drones are able to deliver parcels directly to small places such as doorways and balconies, avoiding human contact and traffic congestion.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Masslie Arias, of DoorDash, prepares to load a delivery package on a hovering drone on July 31 in Frisco, Texas. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Food delivery app DoorDash is setting its sights on a new destination to test out flying drone deliveries: San Francisco.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. For some adventurers, scaling Mount Everest represents the ultimate test of grit and determination: a visual signifier of humanity's epic struggle to overcome the elements. For others, the peak can seem more like a really tall trash can. Every year, around 600 climbers make the trek from the mountain's base camp to the summit. During their time on Everest, each person produces an estimated 18 pounds of waste, most of which is left behind.

They rise to 70ft (21 metres), tilt forward and zip away in different directions, each carrying a paper bag. On a sleepy morning in the Irish capital the takeoffs build to a steady one every few minutes, with barely anyone glancing at the constant stream of aircraft buzzing back and forth. "No one's looking up – no one ever looks up," says the man responsible, Bobby Healy, the founder of the Dublin startup Manna Aero. People probably should take notice, because the drones are part of an effort to realise an ambition shared by Amazon, the Google sister company Wing and the Californian startup Zipline: instant, autonomous home delivery. Healy and his big-tech rivals hope drone delivery will change the course of the retail industry across Ireland, and then into the UK as soon as this year.

DoorDash has started robot deliveries in Los Angeles and Chicago. This is thanks to a partnership with the company Coco Robotics. Eligible customers will be able to receive sidewalk deliveries sourced from over 600 participating merchants. Coco robots have been making deliveries for DoorDash in Helsinki since late last year through its international sub-brand Wolt. DoorDash says that Coco robots completed over 100,000 deliveries during this initial pilot phase.

Amazon's drones won't be making any deliveries in the foreseeable future. According to Bloomberg, the company has paused all commercial drone deliveries in Texas and Arizona after a previously undisclosed event in which two of Amazon's MK30 drones had crashed at the Pendleton, Oregon airport it uses for testing. MK30 is the company's next-gen drone model, which is lighter and has a longer range than its predecessor, the MK27. The incidents took place in December, with one of the drones even catching fire after it fell. Amazon reportedly determined that its drones crashed due a software issue that's linked to the light rain drizzling at the time the tests were being conducted.

Amazon has started making deliveries via drone in parts of Phoenix, according to reporting by TechCrunch. We knew this was coming and now it's here. Customers in the West Valley Phoenix Metro area should now have access to a selection of products that will arrive at doorsteps via the friendly skies. These include household, office, health and beauty supplies, among others. Phoenix residents will be able to click on a drone delivery icon before checking out.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given Amazon permission to fly its delivery drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). With that hurdle cleared, the company claims it can fly farther and expand drone service, providing customers faster delivery and a larger selection of items, Amazon announced in a blog post. Until now, the FAA has only allowed Amazon to fly drones as far as someone could see them from the ground. That way, spotters or pilots could ensure that drones weren't interfering with aircraft. However, the constraint seriously limited how far the drones could travel.

Amazon plans to start flying delivery drones in Arizona this year--but don't count on them to bring you a refreshing drink on a hot day. The hexacopter can't operate when temperatures top 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40 degrees Celsius, the company says, and average daily highs exceed that for three months of the year in Tolleson, the city outside Phoenix where Amazon is preparing to offer aerial deliveries from inside a 7.5-mile radius. The drones can't help with midnight snacks either, because they'll be grounded after sunset. Potentially being inoperable for a quarter of the year might make launching drone deliveries in Tolleson and neighboring desert communities seem like an odd choice. It's far from the first challenge faced by Amazon's much-delayed drone project.