The Burrito Bomber

Burrito Bomber

The Burrito Bomber, created by the folks at Darwin Aerospace, claims to be “the world’s first Mexican food delivery system.” The delivery process starts with the customer placing an order through the Flask based Burrito Bomber webapp. The customer’s location is grabbed from their smartphone using the HTML5 Geolocation API and used to generate a waypoint file for the drone. Next, the order is placed into a delivery tube, loaded onto the drone, and the waypoint file is uploaded to the drone. Finally, the drone flies to your location and drops the delivery tube. A parachute deploys to safely deliver the tasty payload.

The drone is based on a Skywalker X-8 airframe and the Quantum RTR Bomb System. The bomb system provides the basic mechanism to hold and drop a payload, but Darwin Airspace designed their own 3D printed parts for the delivery tube. These parts are available on Thingiverse. The drone is controlled autonomously by ArduPilot, which uses the webapp’s waypoint output to guide the drone to the target and release the payload.

Unfortunately, this can’t be a commercial product yet due to FAA regulations, but the FAA is required to figure out commercial drone regulations by 2015. Hopefully in 2015 we’ll all be able to order burritos by air.

For all the source and models, check out the group’s Github. There’s also a video of the bomber in action after the break.

40 thoughts on “The Burrito Bomber

  1. That video is pretty bad. It doesn’t actually show any ability to drop in a set location, which seems like the point. It’s just a big field.

    Still, it’s an interesting project. A little work on the Burrito holder, give it some guidance systems so a drop from altitude works correctly…

    I must admit, if I had one of these things, I would have a nearly irresistible urge to send my least favourite politician a burrito when they were walking to their car one night. The ensuing shitstorm would be a thing of beauty.

    1. I don’t the delivery system is any more useful; they just have their different uses. I think the quadrotor would have a much, much shorter range than the plane.

      Now if you’re saying that what’s being delivered is more important, I would have to agree with you.

  2. I really can’t imagine any regulations for commercial drone use in the near future that don’t include a licensed commercial pilot on the ground acting as PIC while the UAV is in the air. Nobody is going to take the risk of an autonomous system sharing air space with the rest of us; there’s going to be a human with an FAA certificate the FAA can choke if they don’t see-and-avoid.

    1. They opened US airspace last year for drones; manned and unmanned drones. Might have been a little longer ago, but the law was changed specifically to allow for drones in the US airspace.

    1. Seriously Xorpunk? 0,5km? I wonder how i would get to my destination using satnav is that was true :) 10m accuracy isn’t that hard to achief using GPS.

      Cool idea, but the packaging needs some upgrades to keep the payload warm all the way to the customer and accuracy is key.. Would hate to see my burrito being dropped at my neighbors ;)

  3. wait, i thought that the HTML5 geolocation api didnt really reveal YOUR location, but actually the location of where your ISP equipment is….
    At least thats what it showed for me…

  4. Now announcing the WORLDS FIRST remote Mexican food delivery system. Its the “Quesadilla Cannon”!!! Just input your coordinates and we will start targeting your location with an aerial bombardment of tasty melty ingredients ( some assembly required) !

  5. I could imagine re-purposed howitzers being used to launch self-guided fin-stabilized foodstuffs. Depending on how far the food needs to be fired (beyond about a 40km radius), you might need to add rocket propulsion.

    The only problem I see is breaking city noise ordinances.

  6. Having read this I believed it was extremely enlightening.
    I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this article together.
    I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and posting comments.
    But so what, it was still worth it!

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