DoorDash’s drone strategy started on the ground
DoorDash’s drone strategy started on the ground
DoorDash 的无人机战略始于地面
When DoorDash set out to build a drone delivery business, it started with the tricky logistics that happen on the ground before it looked up. The autonomous drone came last, according to the company, which unveiled its new six-propeller aircraft at its annual Dash Forward 2026 event on Wednesday. 当 DoorDash 着手打造无人机配送业务时，它首先关注的是在仰望天空之前，地面上那些棘手的物流问题。据该公司称，自动驾驶无人机是最后才登场的。周三，在年度“Dash Forward 2026”活动上，DoorDash 正式发布了其全新的六桨无人机。
Before DoorDash worked on the aircraft, the company focused on ground infrastructure, including loading systems, how food would be handed off from a restaurant’s kitchen, and packaging. DoorDash Labs, the R&D team that built its autonomous sidewalk delivery bot Dot, created the drone delivery service now called DoorDash Air. 在研发飞行器之前，DoorDash 专注于地面基础设施，包括装载系统、餐厅厨房如何进行餐品交接以及包装方案。DoorDash Labs（曾开发自动人行道配送机器人 Dot 的研发团队）创建了现名为“DoorDash Air”的无人机配送服务。
The same team also developed the underlying software, called the Autonomous Delivery Platform (ADP), to handle the coordination challenges in deliveries handled by humans, sidewalk delivery bots, and now drones. The ADP software uses smart routing, incorporating factors like weather, flight range, and ground traffic to narrow down which orders actually make sense to send by air. 同一团队还开发了名为“自动配送平台”（ADP）的底层软件，旨在处理由人类骑手、人行道配送机器人以及现在的无人机共同参与配送时的协调难题。ADP 软件利用智能路径规划，结合天气、飞行航程和地面交通等因素，筛选出哪些订单真正适合通过空中配送。
The company’s systems-first strategy for its DoorDash Air business aligns with its strengths. DoorDash isn’t a hardware company, but it is sitting on 13 years of user data from the merchant and customer sides of the business. (DoorDash has previously disclosed that more than 500,000 restaurants are on its delivery marketplace.) The company says it sized the whole DoorDash Air system around its historical order data, including how much orders weigh and how far they typically travel. DoorDash 为其 DoorDash Air 业务采取的“系统优先”战略与其自身优势相契合。DoorDash 并非一家硬件公司，但它拥有 13 年来积累的商户端和用户端数据。（DoorDash 此前曾披露，其配送平台上有超过 50 万家餐厅。）该公司表示，整个 DoorDash Air 系统的规模是基于其历史订单数据设定的，包括订单重量和平均配送距离。
“We didn’t start with a drone and ask what would fit,” Harrison Shih, who heads up DoorDash Air, said in a statement. “We started with what people order and how local businesses actually operate, then built the entire system from there.” “我们并不是先有了无人机再去考虑它能装什么，”DoorDash Air 负责人 Harrison Shih 在一份声明中表示，“我们是从人们点什么餐以及本地商家如何实际运营出发，然后在此基础上构建了整个系统。”
DoorDash announced plans in July to launch the drone delivery business after receiving a Part 135 air carrier certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The certification allows the company to legally operate a commercial drone delivery service in the United States. The drone, which has six slow-spinning propellers mounted at the ends of its arms, is equipped with a winch to pick up, carry, and drop off packages. DoorDash 在获得美国联邦航空管理局（FAA）的 Part 135 航空承运人认证后，于 7 月宣布了推出无人机配送业务的计划。该认证允许该公司在美国合法运营商业无人机配送服务。这款无人机在机臂末端装有六个低速旋转的螺旋桨，并配备了用于拾取、运送和投放包裹的绞盘。
DoorDash said it plans to kick off early pilot deliveries in Northern California with partners including Chipotle, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Momo N Curry. DoorDash 表示，计划在北加州启动早期试点配送，合作伙伴包括 Chipotle、Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen 和 Momo N Curry。