IS DRONE FOOD DELIVERY SYSTEM SUCCESSFUL?

 

Building upon its logistics and technology expertise in transport, Uber has moved into the food delivery business. As with transport, the company started by offering food delivery with drivers. However, that model brings problems. Uber’s labor practices have been highly criticized by journalists, activists, and others. One approach to solving those problems: use more technology.

 Uber isn’t the only company looking into using drones for delivery; Amazon and Google are also developing drone delivery services. There are social and technological factors driving the drone delivery boom. On the social side, customer expectations for fast delivery such as overnight or same-day shipping in e-commerce have set a new bar for delivery service. Further, the stress of daily life means more people are willing to pay for delivery. Uber Eats is one of the fastest-growing segments within Uber. 

Further, some consumers may view drone delivery as more environmentally responsible than car delivery because drones operate on electric power. 

Technologically, a few drivers are making a difference. Continuing improvements in battery hardware, driven by companies such as Tesla and Apple, are improving battery capacity. As a result, drones can fly faster for longer durations. LIDAR, digital cameras, and other hardware are enabling safer navigation in urban areas. GPS hardware helps a drone to plan a route at a high level. Once in flight, LIDAR and camera hardware help the drone avoid hazards such as other drones, birds, and power lines. Since safe drone operation is limited by weather conditions, you also need hardware like pressure sensors to measure changing weather conditions. Pressure sensors make it simple for the drone to detect weather changes and alert the pilot to land the device safely. Add it up, and you can see why more companies are investing more in drone delivery services.

 Food delivery via flying drones could soon become a reality in India. The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given a nod to food startups like Zomato, Swiggy and Dunzo to start testing beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) drones for deliveries. 

Last year, the popular food delivery startup Zomato completed a test delivery using drones in India. The drone carried a payload of 5 kg covered 5 km in 10 minutes, said Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Zomato. The drone hit a peak speed of 80 kmph. The food delivery chain aims to deliver food to the customer in less than 15 minutes. 

When drone delivery services were first proposed, many people laughed at the idea. Remember how Amazon’s first drone delivery announcement in 2013 was greeted? That’s started to change thanks to supporting government authorities such as the Federal Aviation Authority. Regulators are taking a measured approach by approving small-scale pilot projects to evaluate the technology. Now that legal and regulatory uncertainty is dropping, drone delivery services are likely to multiply. 

The next frontier in drone delivery technology will require greater power and navigational accuracy. Right now, drones have a long way to go to catch up with the operational flexibility of commercial aircraft. For example, a rainstorm will effectively shut down drone delivery. By adding LIDAR and better software to drones, delivery services will be able to fly safely in more demanding conditions.

 At a time when the world is looking for new ways for contactless delivery, the approval of drone delivery can prove to be a game-changer.