Eric Watson

Approximating teleportation @zipline

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

It's hard to control my nerd excitement! Check out our new #space community @DownlinkSpace! https://t.co/ANdu7MyhhJ

[Alfred Lin @Alfred_Lin]

Drone delivery is about to be cheaper than cars. But the drone is only 15% of the work to get there.

A decade after starting in Rwanda flying blood to one hospital, @zipline has flown 140M+ autonomous miles with zero safety incidents, expanded to the US and to food delivery and household items, and delivery costs have fallen from $300 to $12 - now cheaper than a car.

Getting there meant building almost everything from scratch: flight computers, motors, GPS modules, even the air traffic software regulators use to track them. And it meant a discipline most engineers find nearly impossible.

That's the reality behind Zipline, the largest autonomous system on Earth. @Keller and @EricWattage joined me and @gradypb to talk more about their journey.

00:00 Introduction
02:28 Early Vision and Regulation
04:09 Rwanda Launch Hard Lessons
06:49 Scaling to 24/7 Impact
09:35 Real World Ops Surprises
11:15 Safety Redundancy Failover
20:24 Precision Delivery Pod Tech
25:34 Building the Drone Network
26:51 Fleet Commanders Explained
28:22 Scaling to a Million a Day
29:51 Autonomy Enables 24 7 Ops
31:52 Reinventing Air Traffic Control
36:08 Why Zipline Is Vertical
41:40 First Principles Delete Parts
44:45 Market Explosion and Closing Thoughts

[Zipline @zipline]

In 2023, every 120 million miles driven in the U.S. meant 700+ crashes, 100+ injuries, and at least one fatality.

This week, Zipline crossed 120 million miles flown with zero injuries, while saving thousands of lives per year in the process — all 100% autonomously.

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

@MarkRober Awesome! Has anyone found a 3D printable file for the badge gears that come with each box (like the one that says "flywheel" in the image above? They seem to be laser cut but I'd like to 3D print a replacement for a missing gear badge!

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

Sorry website footer not foyer!

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

@friedberg cheering for you and team at @ohalo!! Important mission and big opportunity.

FYI the “view opening” link in the foyer of your website doesn’t lead anywhere. It seems it should go to the greenhouse website roles list.

[david friedberg @friedberg]

i had the thrill and honor to chat with astronaut (and fellow Cal alum) @Astro_Woody, from the @Space_Station yesterday. really fun convo on a wide range of topics. full video..

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

@DavidSacks Big All-in fan here. My best friend has helped a handful of celebrities successfully launch spirits brands. DM me if interested in learning more.

[Zipline @zipline]

@zipline and @WalmartInc are teaming up to bring a first-of-its-kind drone delivery service to homes in the United States!

https://t.co/xKnmwlLIen

[ZiplineRwanda @ZiplineRwanda]

8:15pm - Emergency order received, 9 day old in critical condition

8:20pm @RwandaAirports clears the flight

8:25pm drone departs for 105km blood delivery

9:05pm blood delivered, baby recovering

9:40pm drone recovers, another patient served, another mission complete

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

@PeterAttiaMD I just enjoy your nothing burger episode. If non MD's like I can help in studying optimal fasting protocols let me know! I'm happy to do some weird self experimenting for the cause.

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

@MensSlugRugby hey Slugs, I moved to Santa Cruz recently and I'm looking for some casual touch rugby. I played at Cal Poly but haven't been playing regularly since and would love to get back on the pitch. Any suggestions appreciated!

[Zipline @zipline]

Zipline is growing! Check out https://t.co/YEEYnVWEea for roles in Biz Dev, Controls Eng., Embedded Eng., Build team, People Ops, & more!

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

@foundmyfitness Hey Rhonda, do naturally occurring sugars in fruit, honey, etc have similar negative affects to refined sugar? Thanks!

[Zipline @zipline]

⚡️ “Launching weekend service in 3, 2, 1...” Check out a day in the life of @Zipline #Rwanda on our ⛈️ 1st Sat!

https://t.co/NKOXFPXmvX

[Zipline @zipline]

Think lifesaving drones are amazing? Want to build something that matters (+ enjoy this view)? @zipline is hiring! https://t.co/YEEYnVF2PA

[Zipline @zipline]

He's a pro! Thank you for your support, President Kagame. We are honored to be part of #Rwanda #health delivery. #MedDronesRw https://t.co/BDZYNutQbu

[Zipline @zipline]

One delivery, one life saved. It's that simple. #ZiplineDelivery

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

@AirbnbHelp I'm in - thanks

[Eric Watson @EricWattage]

@AirbnbHelp I'm getting an error logging in on web via facebook with the error "unable to authorize your account" (chrome on mac)