As commercial drones gain in popularity, businesses and consumers are speculating about the technology's future role in logistics. Will the systems allow for smarter deliveries at lower costs? How well will the approach work in different environments, or handle long-distance deliveries?
A number of companies are investing resources into drone and other logistics technologies. So what how will deliveries work best when drones are used? Where are the sticking points, and what are the advantages? To find out, we asked the members of Forbes Technology Council what they think about the future role drones will play when it comes to logistics. Here's what they had to say.
1. Drone Use Is Growing, But It Won't Fully Replace Traditional Delivery Methods
The use of drones is actively growing in all kinds of industries in addition to e-commerce. Despite this, I don’t see it completely replacing other delivery systems. Issues such as safety, weather and privacy concerns will continue to be a challenge, and there will remain a need for traditional delivery options. - Justin Morgenthau, Triax Technologies, Inc.
2. Consumers Will Demand The Speed And Convenience Of Drone-Only Delivery
A study published in early 2018 showed that a well-planned roll-out of drone delivery could lower the environmental impact of package delivery, and the speed and convenience is obviously amazing. It’s clear that consumers have a strong preference for immediate. - Matthew Wallace, Faction, Inc.
3. Drones Will Need To Be Used In Conjunction With Ground Delivery Vehicles
Drones are a key to same-day delivery in conjunction with current delivery vehicles. If a current delivery driver were able to pull into a neighborhood and release four to six drones and monitor those deliveries from the vehicle, its a win-win. A value add for the consumer would be to get a picture of the exact location a package was placed via MMS at the delivery time. - Tom Altman, Leverage, powered by Clickstop
4. The Obstacles To Drone-Only Deliveries Are Legal, Not Technological
Drones make the deliveries faster and more convenient. In most situations, if not all, it's cheaper as well. In terms of technology, we're almost there already. Now, it's mostly about figuring out legalities. Getting lawmakers on board is going to be tricky, especially after all the recent privacy concerns about big companies. But we will get there. - Vikram Joshi, pulsd
5. Drones Can't Deliver All Packages Across All Distances Yet
With the practicality and legal aspects, drones cannot be the only delivery system. A drone could solve the much-needed solution in the last mile delivery of lighter packages but for heavier packages, we will still need to depend on the ground transportation. With the current cost of charge and battery life, we will have to wait till drones could fly longer distance before scaling it. - Sunil Ranka Ranka, Predikly LLC
6. Drone-Only Delivery Is Best For Low-Cost Items
Drone-only delivery systems are becoming popular because it makes sense for both the company and consumer to automate. It means more efficient deliveries to consumers, with faster delivery times than a truck that is stuck in traffic and limited to roadways. There are, however, concerns with liability, security and insurance of the package. For this reason, it's best used for low-cost items. - AJ Abdallat, Beyond Limits
7. Last-Mile Drone Deliveries Could Offer Gig Economy Opportunities
Long-haul drones are still far fetched, but using drones for last-mile deliveries is very real. In the near future, LTL carriers will drop containers of outgoing deliveries for a target area and be met by gig economy drone operators who can dispatch packages to their final destination. Uber-style last-mile delivery method is already in use by Amazon for ground deliveries, with drones coming soon. - Jason Gill, The HOTH
8. Drone Deliveries Won't Take Off If They're Cost-Prohibitive
The human mind is limitless. We can do anything with unlimited resources and money. That's the only thing stopping us. If companies can find a way to make it profitable to deliver goods to your home with drones, then they will do it. But if the cost gets in the way, well, then it can just be something cool you see in the movies. - Brent Chapman, RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corp.
9. Drones Are Ideal For Last-Mile Connectivity In Rural Areas
Drone deliveries are the ideal solution for last-mile connectivity in rural areas. The delight of ultra-fast deliveries could be spread beyond cities using this approach. Urban areas remain more challenging, at least for existing drone technology. Used the right way, this could be a win-win for both sides; almost-instant gratification for consumers, and cost cutting in deliveries for companies. - Anil Mathews, Near
10. The Noise Factor Will Limit The Spread Of Drone-Only Delivery
Anyone notice how noisy these drones are, especially the larger ones capable of carrying 10-pound cameras? Imagine armies above them hovering over your house. Drone-only delivery is not likely until the hardware technology has a semi-quantum leap in noise reduction. - John Sung Kim, Fingrprint.io
11. Drones Are The Future Of All Courier Service, Not Just E-Commerce
While regulatory obstacles remain, drone technology continues to improve at rapid pace. Significant investment in the field has accelerated technology and adoption. NASA estimates 7 million drones in the sky by 2020, with 2.6M in the commercial space. NASA's involvement in air traffic control for drones is paving the way for governments and businesses to use them for many different courier needs. - Ofer Garnett, YouAPPi Inc.
