5 Drone-Based Delivery Services Before Amazon PrimeAir

Amazon PrimeAir, a drone-based delivery system currently being tested by the Seattle-based company, might one day fill the sky with autonomous flying machines. But the popular online retailer is not alone in its quest for an easier delivery system.

In a segment on 60 Minutes, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos provided a sneak peek at a quad copter-operated, 30-minute delivery service for small items within a 10-mile radius of Amazon fulfillment centers. These drop-offs could be years away because current FAA regulations prohibit the commercial use of drones, but Bezos said he hoped to start PrimeAir deliveries within four to five years.

Drones have made headlines for killing innocent civilians overseas, and spying within U.S. borders. But if those drones are suddenly dropping off packages filled with Kindles and candy, attitudes about their domestic use could change. Citizens have traded their privacy for far less, from location-based mobile deals to ads based on browsing history. The boundaries of what we value get stretched as gratification grows.

Bayer MaterialScience recently conducted a search for better solutions to our current package delivery system with its Cargo Packs 2020 contest. And while the sort-of-icky Urban Mole sewer-delivery system came in second place, none of the winners used drones. That's not to say that Amazon is first with the idea, though. Check out the slideshow for other unmanned aerial delivery systems.

SF Express

China is expansive, making delivery around the undeveloped parts of the country expensive. To combat this delivery service SF Express is testing out drone delivery.

Flirtey Zookal

Android users in Australia will soon be able to schedule a rendezvous with a delivery drone by using the Flirtey app to get their latest textbook rental from Zookal.

Yo! Sushi

Diners at Yo! Sushi in London might not have to tip their servers soon. The chain is testing out delivering orders to tables with quadcopters at their Soho location and if all goes well, will float the idea to its other locations.

TacoCopter

Like so many things that sound too good to be true, such was the TacoCopter. The Bay Area already boasts some of the best Mexican food in the country, but to think it could be delivered by octocopter was flying too close to the sun. The site turned out to be a hoax, but the dream lives on.

DomiCopter

It was nothing more than a marketing ploy, but Domino's almost outdid Amazon's PrimeAir with the DomiCopter this past summer. Alas, the pizza-delivery system ended up just being an extra-cheesy stunt.

About Our Expert

Chandra Steele

Senior Features Writer

My Experience

My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme.

I strive to explain topics that you might come across in the news but not fully understand, such as NFTs and meme stocks. I’ve had the pleasure of talking tech with Jeff Goldblum, Ang Lee, and other celebrities who have brought a different perspective to it. I put great care into writing gift guides and am always touched by the notes I get from people who’ve used them to choose presents that have been well-received. Though I love that I get to write about the tech industry every day, it’s touched by gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequality and I try to bring these topics to light.

Outside of PCMag, I write fiction, poetry, humor, and essays on culture.

My Areas of Expertise

Making incomprehensible tech news easy to understand
Expanding the boundaries of topics covered in the industry
Figuring out tips and tricks in apps and on devices and letting you know about them
Putting together gift guides for everyone in your life

The Technology I Use

All that gadgets is gold for me: my iPhone 11 Pro, my fifth-generation iPad that I use only for streaming videos and music, my iPad mini 4 that I like to take with me whenever I carry a bag that can fit it, and my MacBook Pro. Why are they all different shades of gold, though? What’s going on, Apple?

None of them quite live up to my two past loves: my LG Lotus LX600 phone and my Sony Walkman NW-E005 MP3 player.

I've never given up wired earbuds so I was ahead of all those trend pieces. I use a Mangotek Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone jack adapter to connect them to my phone.

I have had so many ebook readers, but I prefer paper to them all. Still, my Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for traveling or when I’m too impatient to wait for a book to be released in paperback.

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