Yo! Sushi is developing a drone to deliver food, with the company's boss predicting that high streets will become drone landing areas. The chain is testing a 'flying serving tray' with a carbon fibre frame, four propellers, two cameras and its own WiFi connection, controlled via an iPad app.
During a trial at the Soho restaurant, the drone struggled to lift off and hover steadily, crashing into tripods and chairs. The pilot blamed wind and low batteries. The drone's rotor blades can reach speeds of 20mph within a 50m range, but when the tray tilted, prawn crackers were chopped and sprayed across the area.
Despite the teething problems, customers were impressed. Michael Lim, 21, called it 'amazing' but hoped the rotor wouldn't hit him. Deeviya Meir, 25, said it 'definitely grabs your attention'. However, Claire Lubert, 35, urged caution, saying she would wait to see how it handles wine or miso soup.
The drone is expected to be rolled out next year, following a similar concept from Domino's Pizza, which released a video of its 'DomiCopter' earlier this month.
