Take Off, Amazon: 5 Companies Already Trying Drone Deliveries

Amazon isn't the first company to think of delivering products by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

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Julie Jacobson / AP

Jeff Bezos’ announcement Sunday that Amazon is planning to start delivering products by unmanned aerial vehicles set the Internet whirring like a fleet of delivery drones.

Amazon won’t be delivering anything until the Federal Aviation Administration issues regulations governing the commercial use of drones, which won’t happen until 2015 at the earliest. Still, Amazon’s announcement, complete with a flashy video supposedly taken during a “recent test flight,” wasn’t the first time a company has drummed up press by announcing drone delivery.

For instance…

BurritoBomber
Like many drone “delivery” systems, the BurritoBomber claims that it will let you place a burrito order from your smartphone and drop a delicious delicacy from above. If you order from them, we hope you’re standing in a big empty field, because parachute technology may not have quite the precision of a delivery driver.

Oppikoppi
South Africa’s OppiKoppi music festival claims to have dropped ice-cold beers from the sky, delivered safely to thirsty festival goers via parachute. See above for our big open field disclaimer but hey, cold beer from the sky? We’re not complaining.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGZnouOGc5A&w=600&h=350]

DonerCopter
The doner is Germany’s version of the burrito. Use your imagination.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C96c8bdxIhg&w=600&h=350]

DomiCopter
Dominos Pizza’s drone will kindly deliver a pizza to the earth’s surface for you, skipping the whole parachute situation entirely.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on4DRTUvst0&w=600&h=350]

Flirtey
If for some reason you want textbooks rather than food delivered to you by drone (what kind of monster are you?) this Australian startup could be your thing. Just stay away from subjects requiring big heavy textbooks. And don’t buy an e-reader, to which textbooks of the future could be digitally delivered sans drone.