Life and Technology | Shenzhen--Using Drones to Deliver Takeaways! So Cool!

From Economic Daily, May 21

During lunchtime, at Bantian Street of Longgang District in Shenzhen, Lin Miaoqing, a store manager of Ajisen Raman, received a takeaway order in store. Within 20 minutes, the takeaway was delivered to the consumer, by drone!

“To deliver takeaways by drones is faster and easier to control. It is a useful supplementary to logistics transportation, ” expressed Yang Junwei -- a person in charge of drones operation in Meituan. Too long delivery time and food taste impairment during the delivery worry many restaurant owners. Drones can fly over pass obstacles and crowded areas to deliver takeaways to the consumers within the time half less than the traditional delivery ways. Drone delivery is smoother that can avoid spillage. “During the past two years, consumers’ feedback is gradually being positive,” Yang said. To deliver takeaways by drones is more efficient and stable, and can relieve road jam and reduce carbon emission. It is greener and more environment-friendly.

“The space where drones fly to deliver takeaways is called a city’s sixth dimension or sixth space. It refers to low altitude space above building top and lower than 120 meters in obstacle-free space,” Chen Tianjian -- an architect of drones system in Meituan explained. During recent years, with the development of 5G Communication and computers’ computing capacity, with the introduce of AI, and with the renovation of key equipment as electronic control system, electronic machinery and power battery, drone delivery has a more solid foundation for its further development.

In 2017, Meituan began its research in drone delivery on the ground that there have been new retail technological products applied, speeding up the building of a local instant delivery system covering land and space, and extending digital consumption in low altitude space. In 2021, Meituan finished its first order delivered to true consumer by drone. Until now, drone delivery has covered 5 business circles in Shenzhen. Through 11 flying lines, about 20,000 products can be delivered to 18 communities and office buildings. Over 120,000 orders have been delivered by drones. And, the  time used keeps within about 12 minutes. Using drones to deliver takeaways has saved about 30,000 hours for consumers.

Besides, drone delivery has been a new highlight of consumption in scenic spot. At a famous place of interest in Shenzhen -- Window of the World, Meituan has built landing spot for drone delivery. Takeaways within 3 kilometers can be delivered here within 15 minutes by drones. In the fastest speed, a takeaway order can be finished within 5 minutes, from cooking to delivery. It helps solve the problem that takeaways could not be delivered to the place of interest for the delivery staff cannot enter.

Delivering takeaways by drones is a new trend, and has its special advantages and great development potential. As technological innovation and policy support becomes perfect, drone delivery would be more common and reliable in people’s daily life, and would help bring a more efficient, convenient and environment-friendly life to people, Yang Junwei said. 

One reason for the fast development of drone delivery in Shenzhen is that the city plans in advance its low altitude economic space, continuously inputs in the development and provides policy guarantee. “Shenzhen has its special policy advantage and industrial chain advantage. It has great market demand. Those give us confidence in developing drone delivery in Shenzhen,” Chen Tianjian said. “Seeking further development in low altitude space becomes a way for Shenzhen to improve its operation efficiency. Shenzhen has implemented laws and regulations on low altitude space industries and formulated rules and standards on the operation and management of civil drones”.

According to related data, Shenzhen until now has developed 83 drone flying lines, and has used drones for cargo transportation and comprehensive purposes for about 300,000 times. It tries to popularize drones in the fields as emergency, public security, city management, industrial production, and to explore in the emerging field as man-carried drones. Low altitude space would becomes an very important factor for pursuing future business value and social value. Shenzhen has its special advantageous low altitude space resources, with 65% of its low altitude space available for flying. Shenzhen’s policies on low altitude space economy also give support for the research in drone technology and the exploration in the commercial application, said Li Shipeng, a director of Low Altitude Space Economy Research Center under International Digital Economy Academy of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.