Uber to pilot food delivery by drone through partnership with Flytrex

Your next Uber Eats order could get delivered to you via drone.

Uber Technologies announced Thursday it is partnering with Flytrex, an autonomous drone delivery system, to fly food deliveries to its customers. The company said it would roll out the service in U.S. Uber Eats pilot markets by the end of the year.

"Uber aims to build the world's most flexible, multimodal delivery network — expanding beyond cars, bikes and couriers to sidewalk robots and now autonomous aerial delivery," Uber said in its statement.

The company, known for its ride-sharing services, said it would also invest in Flytrex to "to accelerate the development and deployment of drone delivery technology" without specifying the size of the investment.

Flytrex drones have flown over 200,000 meals to suburban households in the past three years, according to Uber. It is one of four companies authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct "Beyond Visual Line of Sight" operations, which is when a pilot cannot see the aircraft with the naked eye.

Uber did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch's comment seeking information on where the service will be piloted and how deliveries will work.

The announcement marks another advancement for Uber, which in May started delivering food via sidewalk robots in Los Angeles. Last week, the company announced plans to let customers book helicopter rides through its ride-sharing app.

Reached for comment on where the drone delivery service will be piloted and how deliveries will work, Uber pointed to its "existing robotic delivery partnerships," as precedent, saying that "there is no consumer price difference between when an AV is dispatched or a courier."

Added the company, "There are no additional details to share at this time."

Uber shares have climbed more than 50% since the start of the year.

Other companies have also waded into drone delivery as the technology becomes more mainstream.

DoorDash, one of Uber Eats' competitors, announced a partnership with Flytrex in June to deliver food in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Chipotle is also piloting drone technology in the Texas city. Last month it said it would fly food to customers in Dallas through a partnership with Zipline, which also has FAA approval for commercial drone deliveries.

• Federal Aviation Administration
• Uber
• Drone