Drone delivery just got a whole lot closer to running itself. Matternet has unveiled the M3, a next-generation system built to make the entire delivery process, from order to drop-off, almost completely hands-free. Here's how it works: a customer places an order through the M3 Portal, and the system takes it from there, automatically organizing the shipment, dispatching a drone to pick up the cargo, flying it to the destination, and then guiding the aircraft back to its M3 Dock to recharge and wait for the next job. No pilot has to babysit the flight, and no ground crew has to manage the pickup, the whole loop runs on its own.

The numbers are impressive for a system this streamlined: the M3 can carry up to 5 kilograms, roughly 11 pounds, over distances of up to 16 kilometers, or about 10 miles, and it does not require any special containers. A standard bag or box, the kind any restaurant or retailer already has on hand, works just fine. Matternet has lined up Dave's Hot Chicken as its initial U.S. launch partner and Apian, which already runs a drone network for the U.K.'s National Health Service, as its U.K. partner, with plans to manufacture the M3 aircraft domestically in the United States. Commercial service is being targeted for the second half of 2027, though the company still needs to clear FAA certification for the new aircraft before the system can fully take flight.