In Bonython, a suburb of Australia’s capital city, Canberra, coffee is reaching all new heights with bevvies going airborne and being delivered by drone.
Drone delivery has been teased for years but Alphabet, Google’s parent company, have finally made the future a reality with their delivery test they’re calling, Project Wing. And in true Aussie fashion, these tests are flying long blacks and cappuccinos (with chocolate dusting, of course) around town and successfully dropping them on people’s doorsteps while they’re still hot. Folks in the Canberra area can order coffee through an app and it’ll be sent to local drive-thru shop, Kickstart Espresso.
In a video posted by Wall Street Journal, Bonython residents show excitement, disbelief, and annoyance with this new way of receiving their daily coffee. Convenience and less emissions from driving are pros for drone coffee delivery, but there are still some concerns from the community and safety’s not one of them.
Neighborhood group, Bonython Against Drones or BAD’s number one complaint is the noise, likening it to an F1 Formula race car. Unfortunately, I live near the Grand Prix racetrack in Albert Park, Melbourne and yes, the noise is BAD. But they’re driving in circles and not delivering lattes, so the drones win this one.
Project Wing is working on making quieter drones, but in the mean time will continue to test and improve the systems already in place. Australia is clearly living in 3019 while the rest us are stuck in archaic times making our coffee at home or even worse, going to a coffee shop and talking to actual people(!!!).
I’ll take a flying filter coffee any day. The higher elevation is sure to add some sweetness to the final cup. (I’m sorry. This is Adam’s fault.)
Michelle Johnson is a news contributor at Sprudge Media Network, and the founder and publisher of The Chocolate Barista. Read more Michelle Johnson on Sprudge.
