The Dortash food delivery application is configuring a new destination to prove the deliveries of flying drones: San Francisco.
The technology company leased a warehouse in the Mission district last month that will serve as a research and development space to advance its autonomous delivery technology, a June letter sent to the San Francisco Zoning Administrator, Corey Teague.
“This project reflects a broader commitment to reinvest in the San Francisco innovation economy and create ways for local employment in emerging technologies,” said the letter.
The 34,325 square feet building in 1960 Folsom St. is approximately two miles from the Doordash headquarters. About 200 people are expected to work on the site.
Dordash confirmed Wednesday that the company will use the installation to test autonomous delivery technology and support the research and development of its robotics and automation arm. The company did not immediately answer questions about whether California residents will soon be able to receive food delivery through a drone.
San Francisco Chronicle reported for the first time in Dronesh drones delivery plans.
Most of the tests would occur inside the warehouse, but some of them will also occur outdoors during normal business hours in a closed area. The property includes a large outdoor area with surface parking, according to the letter.
Dordash has been pilitating delivery of drones in other states, including Texas, Virginia and North Carolina, as well as Australia. Dordash has associated with Aviation Companies Wing, a subsidiary of the Google Alphabet parent company, and Flytrek, a Israeli drone delivery company.
Drones delivery companies have also associated with other companies, including Amazon and Walmart.
The expansion of drone delivery highlights how automation and robotics, driven by artificial intelligence, could remodel the future of work. Companies have been experiencing with the delivery of drones as a way of bringing food to the doors of customers in minutes.
Dordash and Flytrek launched the delivery of drones in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, in June. The drones delivered from restaurants such as Pope Johns and the brass tap and could take up to 6.6 pounds, according to a press release on the association.
In the letter sent to Teague, a San Francisco lawyer writes that it is communicating in the name of a “leading technology company focused on last mile delivery solutions” to confirm that your client can use the site as “research and development space (R&D) for autonomous delivery technologies.”
Although the lawyer does not appoint Dordash in the letter, the building lease contract has been linked to the company.
“Outdoor test flights are expected to be up to approximately 150 feet on the ground. No more than two drones would be operated at the same time, and no individual flight would exceed 30 minutes,” the letter said.
Dordash has also been expanding other types of delivery, including an association with Coconut Robotics in which robots with wheels deliver food in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Although San Francisco is a leading center for technology and innovation, city officials have also found safety concerns of residents concerned about meeting robots while they take place on sidewalks. In 2017, the San Francisco Supervisors Board voted to restrict delivery robots.
Meanwhile, the United States Department of Transportation in August proposed a new rule that would facilitate companies at longer distances. A Dortash spokesman said that the company feels encouraged by the steps taken to “make drone delivery a scalable, safe and reliable option for more communities throughout the country.”
As of December 2024, approximately 42 million people used Dordash monthly, according to the financial results throughout the year of the company.
