Wing Aviation completed a mile-high autonomous drone delivery at Denver’s Coors Field, dropping off some beer and peanuts to the diamond used by MLB’s Colorado Rockies — and it’s got a delivery better than some of the Rockies’ pitchers.
The demo comes as Wing continues to expand its drone delivery service into more complex urban spaces. The company’s progress “can be charted along the increasingly dense environments in which we’ve been able to operate,” Jonathan Bass, head of marketing and communications, said in a blog post.
Wing hopes to expand their network, which currently operates in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex; Helsinki, Finland; and Brisbane, Australia.
Despite the game-day delights, the delivery didn’t actually happen during a home contest with a full crowd, but during the launch party of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International’s annual conference, with about 1,000 people scattered throughout the stands, Bass estimated.
According to Bass, Coors Field is a “particularly challenging environment” for the drone to operate in, a combination of urban density, high altitude, and the various obstacles unique to a sports stadium — seats, screens, etc. All in all, a “fun challenge.”
The demonstration was just that, Bass noted; Wing doesn’t plan on replacing the BEER HERE! guy with a drone, instead focusing on providing another option for ground-based package delivery services. Wing’s efforts echo others in the space, including Walmart.
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