A guy in Baalbek called his local fruits and vegetable store to order 1/2kg of oranges and 1/2kg of banana, informing the store owner that he will be sending his drone to pick them up.
At first, just like us, the photographer, the store owner, and everyone thought the guy was just being funny. “Are you trying to make fun of me?” The store owner was heard saying on the phone.
After the guy insisted multiple times that he really is sending a drone to pick up his grocery, he chose to show his drone. The drone flew from above his head to the grocery store, and then to the store owner’s reach.
“What are you doing?” The woman taking the video asked the store owner. “I’m hanging the bags to the drone, obviously,” the store owner replied, adding, “It’s my first time doing this honestly, but this will do too.”
“I’m just trying new ways to maintain the social distancing,” the guy explained. Even though using drones for grocery shopping may be a first in Lebanon, the usage of drones did not start here.
Social distancing necessity has prompted many individuals to use innovative methods and technologies to confront the virus and its repercussions. Among the most prominent of these are robots and drones.
The first appearance of drones was in China last February. Videos showed the Chinese authorities relying on drones to warn and call on citizens to wear masks or return home.
Fear physical contact amid the #CoronavirusOutbreak? How about having your temperature taken by a drone? At Zhangjiashan community in E China's Jiangxi, you only need to stand on your balcony for a temperature check. pic.twitter.com/zU5lqWljxd
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 3, 2020
Others have been used in China to spray sterilizer to disinfect towns and cities where the virus has spread. In Italy, drone patrols were conducted to monitor compliance with curfews and to warn of the epidemic gatherings. In Dubai, drones were also used to disinfect the cities.
In cooperation between the University of South Australia and the DragonFly company, epidemiologists are developing planes to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, and drones that will be able to detect infected people from an early stage.
In other countries, the traditional drone has been used to allow the delivery of essential needs from stores, without the risk of contact with other vendors and customers.
This is precisely what a Lebanese guy from the city of Baalbek did, where he adopted a safe way for the delivery, by using the drone plane.
The video circulating on social media shows the young man speaking on the phone with the owner of a store selling vegetables and asking him to send him his needs by drone.
Watch the video here:
طائرة دليفري في بعلبك مدينة الشمس
— Ali Hmeidan (@hmeidan_ali) April 9, 2020
المخترع شاب لبناني من السفري بعلبك pic.twitter.com/FRmSAESCZq
We have a dedicated coronavirus section where you can find the latest news/updates about the pandemic in Lebanon, inform yourself with WHO-verified resources, and track the number of cases in Lebanon in real-time. Click here.