Autonomous drone deliveries now a reality in Central Texas

AUSTIN, Texas - Autonomous drone deliveries are now a reality in Central Texas. It's a new way to get deliveries like you’ve never seen before.

The autonomous drone delivery service, Zipline, first launched in Round Rock and now has plans to head to Austin.

Local perspective:

Round Rock resident Ashley Sanchez noticed drones popping up around her neighborhood. With her kids curious about the sight, she decided to give the service a try.

"I think that a part of it is the novelty. You know, it's exciting to see something new. And when your kids are out there watching other people get these things, you're like, oh, well, I want to give them that same experience. And then it's just to show them something fun, something innovative," said Ashley Sanchez.

Using the Zipline app, customers can order from participating restaurants and stores. 

The drone autonomously retrieves the order, then flies to your location.

When the drone arrives, it stays more than 300 feet in the air while a pod containing the order descends to the ground on a tether right to your lawn.

Sanchez’s first order was Schlotzsky’s cinnamon rolls.

"I just tried to open the app and there it all was. There were a bunch of food options, so I was like, oh my gosh, and we actually had a couple of kids over, and I was everyone's going to get to see the drone. You know, come to the house and deliver the food and the kids were thrilled to see this food come down from the sky," said Sanchez.

Dig deeper:

The company first got its start delivering blood to hospitals in Rwanda.

To date, Zipline says it's made over three million deliveries of blood, agriculture supplies, medical supplies, food and retail items.

Zipline says the service can also help customers avoid extra trips and time spent in traffic.

"Ziplining helps save people time. For many errands, it's been super popular with busy parents, older folks, and people who don't drive or have access to vehicles," said Zach Hill, with Zipline.

Big picture view:

But as drone deliveries expand, so do questions about how they’ll affect the neighborhoods below.

Zipline says its system is designed to minimize noise, and the electric flights mean zero emissions.

For now, all eyes are on the sky in Round Rock.

"We conducted one of the largest aviation testing programs ever, flying hundreds of thousands of flights. So, the community can rest assured that this is a very safe system, and we put a lot of effort into maintaining that," said Hill.

What's next:

Last week the company officially launched at Stony Point High School. CTE drone team students placed and received the first order.

Zipline has plans to launch in Austin later this year.