Could drones ever deliver Chipotle burritos to BU students?
I always joke about how I need a personal assistant for when I study. The amount of times I get sidetracked because I decide to search for a snack, get a drink, talk to a friend, or even make a to-do list is ridiculous. At least one of these interruptions could be solved by a new technology that Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is testing at one university.
Virginia Tech is a test site for drone delivery of an absolute essential to all college students: Chipotle burritos.
Now there are many important collegiate items for drone delivery, including beer, school supplies, puppies, outfits for a night out, even tickets to music and sporting events. The most important item that college students need, however, is Chipotle.
All my life dreams of having burritos or pizza delivered to the door of my sorority house are so much closer than I could have ever hoped.
I would assume that Google probably put a lot of thought into which schools to select as testing sites, and although Baker was probably near the top of the list, we were not selected. However, this does not mean that we are not allowed to imagine all the possibilities.
Imagine that you are studying for finals in the Long Student Center when suddenly your iPhone lights up with a notification that a drone delivery is waiting for you outside the front door. You walk outside and receive a box of chocolates from your “special friend” wishing you luck in your studies.
Next, picture that you are at a soccer game on a cold night in November. You order a pair of hand warmers from the Kwik, and two minutes later a drone drops them off at your seat.
Lastly, imagine your friend asks you to bring a phone charger to the library. Instead of leaving the warmth and safety of your own room, you send the phone charger over with a drone.
The collegiate possibilities for this technology are endless. Before the widespread deliveries can begin to occur there will obviously be stepping stones. According to Bloomberg, companies will have to prove to the Federal Aviation Association that they safely can navigate the drones without crashes occurring.
As of now, the approved testing sites are the most complex flight operations happening on United States soil. I personally am hoping Baker University will be approved soon.
Until the time comes when this is a part of my everyday life, though, I will continue to put off my studying by driving to the Kwik for snack breaks, walking to the union for school supplies and enjoying every minute of distraction.