A delivery drone is a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used by companies to deliver small goods to customers. These drones can be remotely operated by employees in distribution centres, or they can be flown autonomously using artificial technology (AI) technology.
This infographic guide from 2flow examines the rising use of delivery drones and asks if this exciting technology has the potential to massively disrupt delivery logistics.
What Are Delivery Drones?
A delivery drone is a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used by companies to deliver small goods to customers. These drones can be remotely operated by employees in distribution centres, or they can be flown autonomously using artificial technology (AI) technology.
The Growing Use of Delivery Drones
Delivery drones first made the headlines in 2015, when Jeff Bezos declared his plans to launch Amazon Prime Air – a service that would deliver small packages to customers within 30 minutes. Four years later, and while Prime Air has yet to become a reality it is clear that the Amazon CEO was onto something…
For example, in the United States drone delivery has grown in value from a $40 million industry in 2012 to $1 billion in 2017. What’s more, NASA project that there will be 2.6 million commercial drones in the skies by the year 2020.
What Are The Advantages of Delivery Drones?
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Faster & Cheaper Delivery
The major advantage of cargo drone technology is that it could bring about faster and cheaper fulfilment. Customers would benefit from reduced shipping costs and may be more inclined to shop online. As a result, many e-commerce businesses would benefit from more sales and higher revenues.
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Greater Last-Mile Connectivity
Datex defines last mile delivery as “the movement of goods from a transportation hub to the final delivery destination”. This last mile is usually the most difficult and expensive leg of a package’s journey and is estimated to make up 50% of the total distribution cost. Drone delivery could help to improve last mile connectivity in urban areas by moving packages from local distribution centres to a specific address, thereby slashing the travel time and increasing efficiency. An alternative suggestion is that mini-helipads could be installed on delivery trucks to enable drones to take on the final mile of delivery.
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More Environmentally-Friendly
Did you know that approximately 25% of all transportation emissions come from trucks? In fact, the average truck delivery of a package produces 1 kg of greenhouse gas emissions. By supplementing road haulage with electric-powered drones, businesses could slash their energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
What Are The Challenges Facing Delivery Drones?
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Airspace Restrictions
The single biggest obstacle facing delivery drones is, in fact, a legal matter rather than a technological one. Currently, airspace governance around the world physically restrict where drones can travel, and this means that many areas are completely off-limits to drones. With all of these complex legal roadblocks to consider, drones are simply too impractical to serve as a logistics solution.
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Battery Limitations
Limited battery technology means that currently, a single drone carrying one package to a destination can fly just a little over two miles. This is in contrast to delivery trucks which can carry hundreds of packages at a time. Delivery drones lose power quickly, and this means that they may not have enough battery life to get the package to its intended destination or even fly back to the distribution.
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Privacy Concerns
A major concern among drone delivery critics is that they could pose a risk to privacy. Drones would use cameras to record the delivery and this footage would be watched by operators in the distribution centre. People and properties featured in this footage would have no choice as to whether or not they wish to be filmed, and this issue of consent could pose a significant legal hurdle.
Examples of Delivery Drones in Use
While delivery drones have yet to be adopted within the e-commerce sector, we are beginning to see a growing use of drones in many other areas.
- Drones have also been used to fly blood supplies in remote locations throughout Rwanda.
- In 2016, Dominos delivered the first pizza by drone in 2016 to a New Zealand couple. The pizza company states that drones will be an essential part of its future delivery operations.
- In 2019, Google launched the world’s first commercial drone delivery service in Canberra, Australia.
- UPS is testing drone deliveries, using the top of its vans as a mini-helipad. According to their estimates, eliminating just 1 mile from the routes of each of the company’s 66,000 delivery drivers could save up to $50 million.
Conclusion
Delivery drones show tremendous promise to transform delivery logistics, but it’s clear that there are a number of critical issues that will need to be resolved before this technology can ever become commonplace. If you are interested in delivery drones and would like to find out more about this technology, we recommend that you take a look at the infographic below.
