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An interesting article regarding a study by Germanys Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg.
The study reveals drone deliveries consumed up to ten times more energy than electric delivery vans in densely populated urban spaces.
Electric delivery vans consumed 50% less energy than equivalent diesel delivery vans.
pressemitteilungen.pr.uni-halle.de
Link to the PDF copy > THE STUDY PAPER
I've always through payload limitations / efficiency would be one of the major hurdles for real World drone delivery.
And while this alone would probably make the concept impractical, other stumbling blocks will be compounding the cost basis.
Another major cost factor, (lots of) warehouses needed to load the goods, and be nearby enough to actually have the range to deliver to a majority of a population.
Safety factors about accuracy in urban landscapes with telephone / electricity overhead wires, trees foliage, limited night flight with sensor issues, and who knows what else.
Weather limitations will be huge.
Then, add in the big one, the human factor.
People will do stupid things, drunks getting deliveries will be trying to catch the drone, yank down on a delivery cable, god help the idea if the plan was to land the drone, even more risk with animals, kids, and those drunk patrons again trying to get into a food parcel with props involved.
Maybe all the push for remote ID in the US will fall down (or abate a little) once the real situation becomes apparent to the likes of Amazon, Google, the big freight coys, postal service, etc.
Drone deliveries have their place for urgent medical use in remote and some urban situations, but I don't believe that it is going to be a mainstream form of delivery in urban places to the masses.
Anyway, just some thoughts after stumbling on the article.
The study reveals drone deliveries consumed up to ten times more energy than electric delivery vans in densely populated urban spaces.
Electric delivery vans consumed 50% less energy than equivalent diesel delivery vans.
Delivery drones instead of postal vans? Study reveals drones still consume too much energy
pressemitteilungen.pr.uni-halle.de
Link to the PDF copy > THE STUDY PAPER
I've always through payload limitations / efficiency would be one of the major hurdles for real World drone delivery.
And while this alone would probably make the concept impractical, other stumbling blocks will be compounding the cost basis.
Another major cost factor, (lots of) warehouses needed to load the goods, and be nearby enough to actually have the range to deliver to a majority of a population.
Safety factors about accuracy in urban landscapes with telephone / electricity overhead wires, trees foliage, limited night flight with sensor issues, and who knows what else.
Weather limitations will be huge.
Then, add in the big one, the human factor.
People will do stupid things, drunks getting deliveries will be trying to catch the drone, yank down on a delivery cable, god help the idea if the plan was to land the drone, even more risk with animals, kids, and those drunk patrons again trying to get into a food parcel with props involved.
Maybe all the push for remote ID in the US will fall down (or abate a little) once the real situation becomes apparent to the likes of Amazon, Google, the big freight coys, postal service, etc.
Drone deliveries have their place for urgent medical use in remote and some urban situations, but I don't believe that it is going to be a mainstream form of delivery in urban places to the masses.
Anyway, just some thoughts after stumbling on the article.
