Back in 2013, when Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, was interviewed, the topic of interest was, Amazon would be using octocopters to deliver its products. Years passed by, but it was merely in 2017 we witnessed some progress in commercial drone delivery. While we continued to see advancement in terms of testing and announcement of delivery in 2018, it was in 2019, when the words were put into action.
Today, drone delivery occupies a small portion in drone industry; but thanks to Amazon, the face of commercial drone market, for changing the public stigma about drone industry. In recent days, drones have become safer, capable & less noisy. With this Amazon is planning to begin it’s drone delivery service in a few months. But there are few other acute issues which are stemming Jeff Bezos’s vision turn into reality.
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Weather impact
Drones are supposed to work in all weather conditions. But when the temperature is high, the air density drops which reduces the lifting capacity of the drones and when the temperature is low, the energy capacity of the drone drops rapidly. Also, extreme conditions such as heavy snowfall, rain (with lightning), or gusting winds will be no-fly weather. Weather patterns suggest that there are times and areas in which drone delivery is just not possible.
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Technological challenges
Uniform payload delivery station is required as the packaging must be uniform. But currently, no viable prototypes that meet the requirements of the aspects of the delivery process seem available. In addition, the battery life is an issue. If it needs to be recharged every hour, then plenty of drones will be required and orchestrating them isn’t easy.
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Power lines
Power lines are above the ground in many regions and are a huge problem for drones (especially when flying between the buildings) as it isn’t easy to locate the lines. Also, wind events could bring them in contact with the power lines.
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Security
Drones do not play well with other aircraft. The reason is that it cannot see where it is flying. Drone flying closer to commercial aircraft can violet federal rules and also be a threat to the aircraft.
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Drone mailbox
Drones require an open space to drop the packages. For places with dense trees, lawns with sprinklers, or apartments, other than roof there may not be any safe location to place the package. Until an apt place is identified for the placing of package, a huge number of locations will not be accessible & safe for drone delivery.
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Insurance
Drones are creating questions for the insurance industry. Are drones accountable for property damage? If a drone falls on a car or house, a comprehensive car insurance or home policy would cover the damages? While a few insurance companies have developed customised damage coverage package, the majority of them are still working on it.
With Amazon all set to roll out it’s most anticipated service, drones are promoting legal, practical and financial questions. But regardless of the issues, drone industry won’t stop growing. After all drones are here to stay!