The day started with an unexpected gift of food at my doorstep during lunchtime last Monday; it felt like a miracle, a blessing in the fast-paced metro of 21st-century Clonsilla. Instead of mysterious delicacies, what I received was a four-pack of Cadbury ice-creams, courtesy of Manna. Manna is an Irish drone delivery service, claiming to bring a radical shift in the methods of placing food orders.
Following successful deliveries in the midlands and west, they are presently conducting a larger trail in Dublin 15, which has become so successful that locals have embraced the innovation. Manna’s process is certainly awe-inspiring, effortlessly combining simplicity and complexity. This kind of futuristic idea would have been unimaginable ten years ago.
At first, one must download the Manna app and input an Eircode to confirm that delivery is feasible. I had to use an alternate address as my residence falls outside their operational area. This was followed by a list of partnered restaurants, cafes, and ice-cream parlours within the Blanchardstown Centre.
The list included Boojum, Eddie Rockets, and a few other takeaway food outlets. To experience the service without invading someone’s driveway with a takeaway meal, I placed an order for ice-creams from Heavenly Cafe with a total cost of €6.25, along with a delivery charge of €3.99.
Before proceeding, I was asked to ensure that the delivery area will be devoid of any people and pets and to affirm the non-existence of any hindrance, like trees, power lines, or parked cars, in the drone’s path. If the drone sensed any obstruction or if I had provided false information, it would terminate the delivery.
Subsequent to the completion of the checklist, the anticipation started to build. I was informed of a delivery ETA of 2.06 pm when I placed my order at 1.55 pm. Although this seemed incredibly fast, Denis Houston, the operational manager at Manna, informed me that under certain circumstances, their delivery could arrive within just 3 minutes!
Constantly trained on the heavens, I eagerly await the audible hum of the propeller blades that signals the approach of the drone. It appears far above my home before lowering to a height of 15 metres, where it hovers. The drone, slightly larger than the average valise, has an opening at its base from which a brown paper parcel containing my ice creams is effortlessly released using a strip of nylon thread. Upon reaching my driveway, this tether is disconnected from the drone, which then swiftly departs for its home base near the Blanchardstown Centre, where it moves at a pace of 16 metres per second to fetch the next delivery.
Currently, Manna is managing between 200 and 300 food deliveries daily and has plans to expand throughout the capital within the year, according to Houston as we indulge in the delivered ice-cream.
Five years back, he unexpectedly found himself in this role. With his background in software engineering, he’d expected to end up working for one of the big tech firms. However, he found himself swayed to join the fledgling company by its founder, Bobby Healy.
In the early days of 2020, the company had hoped to branch out into drone delivery, but the Covid pandemic derailed those plans. Instead, Manna began offering contactless medicine deliveries during the pandemic’s peak, later returning to its restaurant-based foundation.
The operation may sound complex, but the hub is modestly outfitted. With four small landing pads, a couple of sheds, and a handful of employees responsible for receiving food from restaurants and loading it onto drones, which then autonomously deliver to customers in Dublin.
Manna’s drones can transport up to 3.5kg – an average dinner for four – and the company intends to place additional compact hubs close to other dining hotspots throughout the city.
A 3km delivery radius works most efficiently, according to Houston. “Expanding the radius would only increase delivery times, so we’ll install additional delivery hubs instead,” he reasons.
Because the drones are not impacted by traffic, delivery times are consistent – ensuring your food is served hot, or in my case, perfectly chilled.
Despite its revolutionary potential, the emergence of drone technology should not be seen as threatening job security or public safety, says Houston. He quickly dismisses these concerns, highlighting that drones are less harmful, intrusive, and generate less noise than traditional delivery vehicles.
Houston mentions that while drones are a potential mode of delivery, they will not be the single solution. Traditional delivery methods will continue to remain an integral part, albeit at a slower pace.