Will Fly Your Clean Clothes To Your House

Of all the potential uses for small UAVs that have been discussed over the past few years, this may be among the most unusual.

A 24-year-old entrepreneur in Philadelphia is using a DJI Phantom quadcopter to deliver dry cleaning to his customers' homes and offices.

Harout Vartanian opened Mnayunk Cleaners last September, according to a report from television station WCAU. He said he wanted something to make his business stand out, and the quadcopter seemed like the perfect marketing tool.

Vartanian said that the concept is simple. The quadcopter flies to your house, announces its presence, and you get your clean clothes. He posted a video on YouTube showing the aircraft making a delivery.

It's still a pretty labor-intensive project, requiring both a pilot and a spotter to make the deliveries. The small drone is limited to two pounds of clothing per delivery, and its range is limited.

But Vartanian told the station that he intends to purchase a larger model quadcopter with a higher payload ... up to 10 pounds. He said he hopes to eventually use a fleet of drones to deliver clothes to customers wherever they may be.

Vartanian said he does not believe his quadcopter falls under the FAA's guidelines for UAV operation in the U.S. He says it's a "toy" that he is using as a way to promote his business.

(Image from YouTube video.)

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