The effective use of drones as a home delivery solution?

There has been no better time to realise the benefits of home deliveries than during our current situation with the government lockdown.

And so while many are avoiding the high street shops to buy their goods by using the retailer’s home delivery service, complaints over the extensive waiting list and delivery time has bombarded social media.

But yet again, the use of drones has come to the rescue.

Drones can fly over congested streets and take the quickest route over buildings. While there a cons over this particular method including battery life and malfunction, there are a growing number of pros.

So how does it actually work?

• Shipments are automatically sorted out at a warehouse based on weight and time-critical criteria's.
• Once this has been organised, the drone automatically picks up the package and takes off. The consumer, using the companies’ app, will then be alerted as to when their package is nearby.
• The drone, uses the customer’s GPS data on their smartphone to correctly identify the location.
• The drone lowers its tether (which is a flexible wire or cable attached to the drone) and the package is lowered.
• Once the package is delivered it retracts its tether and takes off again.

But the use of drones has generated a debate. And here are a few of the arguments:

Pros

• Drones eliminate the possibility of human errors, such as negligence and delivering to the wrong customer.
• Drones can deliver goods to remote places with poor transportation and communication.
• They can operate round the clock in the majority of weather conditions making it extremely reliable.
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 90%

Cons

• Drones are very expensive and they require a significant investment to create a network of drones.
• Drones require an improvement in battery technology as their current battery life is a cause of concern.
• Easily fall from the sky or accidentally release its package compared to traditional options
• If the delivery drone fails, there will be an increase in customer complaints, product costs, and insurance premiums.

But outside of this, those errors will be erased over time.