On June 21, the Russian pizzeria chain Dodo Pizza and the Copter Express company delivered pizzas by drone. This happened in Syktyvkar, in the Republic of Komi, 1,000 kilometers northeast of Moscow.
The company used the drone to deliver prepared pizza directly to a public park. When it reached its destination, the remotely controlled drone hovered and lowered the box on a rope before dozens of spectators who took pictures and videos with their smartphones.
On the ground, the box was not received by customers, however, but by a representative of the company in a special uniform and protective helmet. He was connected to the base by walkie-talkie and oversaw the lowering of the box, then he used an iPad app to collect money from the customers, using cash or bank cards.
In its official press release, Dodo Pizza says that that was the first commercial pizza delivery in history using robots – that is, one in which the pizzeria made money from real customers. Dodo Pizza founder and CEO Fyodor Ovchinnikov dismissed previous pizza deliveries by drone.
“Experiments with drones by the American Domino’s Pizza and an Indian pizzeria were staged commercials and had nothing to do with real delivery,“ Ovchinnikov said.
Dodo Pizza’s innovation is part of an original business plan: instead of delivering pizza to a customer who has pre-ordered it, it is choosing sites frequented by a large number of people – universities, beaches and parks. The drone and the employee in special gear who intercepts the box sailing through the air are a touch of real-time showmanship, which will attract customers, the company claims.
Local authorities vs. air pizza
The pizzeria is facing fines of up to 200,000 rubles (about $5850) for violating rules on the use of airspace, FlashNord reported from the regional office of Gosavianadzor, the federal aviation supervisory service.
In addition, the office of the Komi transportation prosecutor stated that it is investigating the illegal use of the airspace.
Ovchinnikov told FlashNord, however, that neither the prosecutor nor the federal agency has contacted him for an explanation. “Flights by pilotless aircraft are not regulated by legislation, so it’s the precedent that counts right now,“ he said.
Dodo Pizza’s partner in the delivery drone project was Copter Express, which took care of the technical aspects. Its engineers created the pizza boxes, which are special air cases with flaps, the device to lower them and reinforcement for them.
