Key facts
- DoorDash's drone delivery service, DoorDash Air, was developed by DoorDash Labs.
- The Autonomous Delivery Platform (ADP) software manages deliveries by humans, bots, and drones.
- ADP software considers weather, flight range, and ground traffic for air deliveries.
- DoorDash sized the DoorDash Air system using 13 years of order data.
- DoorDash received FAA Part 135 air carrier certification for commercial drone delivery.
- Pilot deliveries will launch in Northern California with Chipotle, Popeyes, and Momo N Curry.
DoorDash has launched its new drone delivery service, DoorDash Air, prioritizing ground-based logistics and software integration before developing the aircraft. The company's R&D team, DoorDash Labs, which also created the autonomous sidewalk delivery bot Dot, developed the drone and the underlying Autonomous Delivery Platform (ADP) software.
The ADP software is designed to manage the complexities of deliveries involving humans, sidewalk bots, and drones, using smart routing that factors in weather, flight range, and ground traffic to determine suitable air delivery orders. DoorDash stated that its systems-first approach leverages its 13 years of user data from both merchants and customers, sizing the DoorDash Air system based on historical order data, including weight and typical travel distances.
"We didn’t start with a drone and ask what would fit," Harrison Shih, who heads up DoorDash Air, said in a statement. "We started with what people order and how local businesses actually operate, then built the entire system from there."
DoorDash announced its intention to launch the drone delivery business in July, following its receipt of a Part 135 air carrier certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which permits commercial drone operations in the United States. The drone features six slow-spinning propellers and a winch system for package pickup and drop-off. Early pilot deliveries are planned for Northern California with partners including Chipotle, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Momo N Curry.