Dominos tested delivering pizza by drone [video]

This seems like a marketing stunt more than anything.<p>Drones would be cost effective if they were at least somehow semi-automated, otherwise there is an endless supply of teenagers and people willing to use scooters to do this at minimum wage. Drone pilots/operators are presumably more skilled and would have higher hourly wages.<p>It seems like 'self piloting drones' &#62; 'self driving cars' in complexity. So we aren't quite there yet.<p>I would also imagine that once it becomes even remotely technologically viable it will be snuffed out by legislation. But perhaps one day.. :)

If I was homeless in that area I'd start hunting pizza drones for food. I also thought they were automating it instead.

The "drone" itself is a DJI S800 and not autonomous in any way. It is technically a Remotely Operated Aircraft (ROA), so a fancy RC helicopter.<p>It looks like this was filmed in the UK (from the .co.uk address on the side of the box). Had it been filmed in the US, they could run into serious legal problems for not having a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the FAA for commercial operation.

I would have thought that the obvious advantage of this over scooter-kid is the time saving over someone in traffic. It would take potentially half the time to deliver to some areas by air. With the major side benefit that your pizza is less soggy when it arrives, which means a noticeable improvement in product quality.

It's a cool idea. I'm sure some would be tempted to capture and steal the drones as they made delivery—they can't be cheap. It will become the modern day equivalent of stealing a plastic milk cart—only you won't be building ugly book shelves with the drones. :)

Who cares if it is a commercial. People need to realize drones can be used for other stuff than military. Maybe this ad will serve as a good tool to democratize drones as that "Pizza for Bitcoin" website did for Bitcoin, even if it's just a small step.

I am 100% sure that automatically landing a pizza in your front yard will be technically feasible long before the theft rate of these neat gadgets would drop to an acceptable rate. Maybe the first copters will parachute the pizzas :)

How is the drone going to open the door of my apartment building and bring the pizza upstairs (the most important part of the delivery)?

I'm still holding out hope for Tacocopter.

I thought drones were banned from commercial use?

If this were an actual service how would they handle people interfering with the drone en route or during the delivery?

Not to me - my local Dominos has mysteriously stopped taking online orders "for the time being".

if i had any money, i'm quite sure i'd consider investing into something drone related (commercial). almost positive these things will become a huge part of our everyday life/society in the future. (hopefully for the better)

Looks to be more of a viral video ad, but still pretty cool.

This is a commercial.

Digg is still alive?

Woah... digg.

Is this for real?

so do they get paid to run ads like that, or are they just stooges the same as reddit?

I can imagine some idiot running right into the propellers on that drone. I can also see the million dollar settlement next.

Can they get the drones to make a pizza that doesn't suck, too? Cuz that might be a better use of the tech.