Food delivery app Doordash is turning its sights to new destinations to test flight drone delivery: San Francisco.
The tech company rented a warehouse in the missionary district last month that will be a research and development space to advance its autonomous delivery technology, a letter sent to San Francisco partition administrator Corey Teague in June.
“The project reflects a broader commitment to reinvestment in San Francisco’s innovative economy and creates avenues for local employment for emerging technologies,” the letter said.
The 34,325 square foot building in 1960 Folsom St. is about two miles from the headquarters of Doordash. About 200 people are expected to be hired on site.
Doordash confirmed Wednesday that the company will use the facility to test automated delivery technology and support research and development in its robotics and automation departments. The company did not immediately answer questions about whether California residents will be able to deliver goods via drones soon.
San Francisco Chronicles First, Doordash’s drone delivery plan was reported.
Most of the tests will occur in the warehouse, but some of them will also be performed outdoors during normal business hours in the enclosed area. The property includes a large outdoor area with ground parking, Xin said.
Doordash has been conducting drone delivery in other states, including Texas, Virginia and North Carolina, and Australia. Doordash works with Aviation Company Wing, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, and a subsidiary of Israeli drone delivery company Flytrek.
The drone delivery company also works with other businesses including Amazon and Walmart.
The expansion of drone delivery highlights how automation and robotics powered by artificial intelligence can reshape the future of work. The company has been trying drone delivery to deliver food to customers’ doorsteps within minutes.
Doordash and Flytrek launched drone delivery in Dallas, Texas in June. Drones shipped from restaurants like Papa Johns and Brass Taps, which can accommodate up to 6.6 pounds of capacity Press release About partnerships.
In a letter sent to Teague, a San Francisco lawyer wrote on behalf of a “leading technology company focused on last mile delivery solutions” to confirm that its clients can use the site as “autonomous delivery technology for research and development (R&D) spaces.”
Even if the lawyer does not name Doordash in the letter, Building lease Linked to the company.
“The test flights outdoors are expected to be about 150 feet above the ground. There will be no more than two drones at the same time and will not last more than 30 minutes,” the letter said.
Doordash has also been expanding other types of delivery, including partnerships with cocoa robots, where wide robots with wheels provide food throughout Los Angeles and Chicago.
Although San Francisco is a leading hub for technology and innovation, city officials also face concerns about the safety of robots when residents take up space on the sidewalk. In 2017 San Francisco Supervisory Board Voting to limit delivery robots.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed a new rule in August that would make it easier for companies to fly drones over longer distances. A Doordash spokesman said the company was subject to “a step to make drone delivery a scalable, safe and reliable option for more communities across the country.”
As of December 2024, about 42 million people use Doordash monthly. The company’s annual financial results.
