[Courtesy of Yogiyo YouTube Channel]
Food delivery company Yogiyo using an auto-piloting drone has successfully delivered a popular Korean stewlike dish in an urban area during its test flight for the first time at home, opening the way for new delivery services.
Yogiyo said Thursday that the test flight was done near an apartment complex in Incheon some 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Seoul. The company used a Hanhwa Techwin drone that flew about 700 meters (765 yards) in an auto-controlled mode to carry Tteokboki, a popular Korean street food made from soft rice cakes, fish cakes and red chilly sauce.
"We are getting positive feedbacks on our food delivery using drones because it cuts delivery time, undisturbed by any geographical obstacles," said Yogiyo vice president Park Ji-hee. "We have a lot of technical challenges to overcome but a day will come when everyone can order drone food services."
Yogiyo said that if its drone delivery service is commercialized, consumers can order a pizza set from the top of a mountain or a golf course. The company, however, has a long way to go for the full commercialization of drone delivery due to legal restrictions and safety.
Across the world, drones have gained huge attention from many delivery companies because of their versatility. They could be used in emergency cases in urban areas and other hard-to-reach places.
E-commerce giant Amazon is the current pioneer in the drone delivery system. The company has developed various drones, carrying out a series of test flights in and out of urban areas. Pizza chain Domino's made its first pizza delivery in New Zealand last week.
Aju News Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
