Drones Delivering Food on a North Dakota Golf Course
A golf course in North Dakota which is situated in a tech friendly part of the state recently came up with a new way to keep their existing golfers happy. They are delivering refreshments to golfers using drones. The golf course is called King’s Walk Golf Course. They started their drone delivery service on September 15th and golfers can now order $3 drinks from anywhere on the course. They make the purchases via an app on their phone, and the drone will lower the drink or snack to them using a rope.
The golf course used to deliver drinks to golfers using a refreshment cart, but the cart has its limitations. It is not easy to access during busy days and the wait times to purchase refreshments can take a while. Golfers still have the option of buying something from the clubhouse, but sometimes they just want to get their drinks while they are golfing.
The start-up which provides the delivery service is called FlyTrex. It is an Israeli based drone operating service and the CEO believes that you should be able to get a delivery of whatever you want regardless of where you are. FlyTrek has become very popular in Iceland. They have made hundreds of food deliveries in the country and are looking to expand into new markets. They see golf courses as an obvious choice and hope that their services can help to revitalize the golfing industry in the area.
North Dakota has always been a drone friendly state. A local air force base is known to be a popular place to for drones and the University of North Dakota was the first university in the country to offer an undergraduate drone program. The only thing holding them back is legal restrictions. Drone delivery is a rarity in the United States because of laws governing how drones are allowed to fly. They cannot be flown directly over people and the drone operators have to keep the drone in sight at all times. These regulations make it impractical to use drones for deliveries in most locations. Making deliveries over golf courses allows the company to get around these restrictions because of the wide open spaces and low population density. The drone deliveries have been met with enthusiasm so far.
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