Alphabet Partners With Chipotle To Deliver Burritos Using Drones (theverge.com)

a report from The Verge:

 

 Google parent company Alphabet is teaming up with fast casual chain Chipotle to test drone delivery for Virginia Tech students, according to a report from Bloomberg.

 The pilot program marks a turning point for Alphabet's Project Wing division, giving the team ample room to experiment with airborne burrito deliveries in one of the first commercial programs of its kind to be green-lit by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority.

 The drones, which will be hybrid aircraft that can both fly and hover in place, will make deliveries coordinated by a Chipotle food truck on campus. 

Project Wing drones will be guided predominantly by software, but human pilots will be on hand to assume control if necessary. 

The aircraft are also prohibited from flying directly over human beings.

 So active participants will be shielded appropriately, according to Alphabet. Project Wing chose to partner with Chipotle because it presented unique challenges: 

could a drone adequately deliver food using a winch system, and can the food remain hot throughout flight with special packaging? 

 The program will be accessible to select Virginia Tech employees and students.

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Oh ya, the flying burrito brothers were light years ahead of the game!