7-Eleven last month teamed up with independent drone-delivery service Flirtey to complete what was claimed to be the first fully autonomous drone delivery to a customer’s residence.
The delivery marked the convenience store chain’s 89th birthday.
“This delivery required special flight planning, risk analysis, and detailed flight procedures ensuring residential safety and privacy were equally integrated,” said Chris Walach, Director of Operations for Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems, which teamed with Flirtey for the delivery.
Two deliveries in Reno, Nevada were successfully completed. 7-Eleven merchandise – including hot and cold food items – was loaded into a unique Flirtey drone-delivery container and flown autonomously using precision GPS to a customer’s house.
The drone hovered in place and gently lowered each package. The goods were delivered to the family in the span of a few minutes. Products included Slurpee drinks, a chicken sandwich, doughnuts, hot coffee and confectionery.
Both companies say they expect future drone packages to include “everyday essentials” such as batteries and sunscreen.
“Drone delivery is the ultimate convenience for our customers and these efforts create enormous opportunities to redefine convenience,” 7-Eleven Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer Jesus H. Delgado-Jenkins said.
“Our customers have demanding schedules, are on the go 24-seven and turn to us to help navigate the challenges of their daily lives.
“In the future, we plan to make the entire assortment in our stores available for delivery to customers in minutes.”
