DRONE ON: If you’re looking skyward, wondering when drone delivery will become commonplace, the answer is, no time soon. While drone delivery promises many benefits, like reduced emissions, faster & more accessible delivery & greater economic opportunities, the logistics of making it happen are intricate. Research by Wing and Virginia Tech on the impacts of drone delivery suggests that in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA area, drones could take 3,385 cars off the road, reduce CO2 by 40.2 tons a year & save customers time worth $46.6 million annually. Wing, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, has begun limited drone deliveries in Helsinki, FI; Canberra, AU; & Christiansburg, VA. For drone delivery to become ubiquitous, regs & the technology itself need to be worked out. Wing isn’t the only player in the sandbox. UPS subsidiary, UPS Flight Forward, a drone airline, is the first to receive full certification from the FAA. It’s partnering with UC San Diego Health & Matternet to pilot a program delivering medical supplies to some of its facilities. Zipline’s been delivering medical supplies to remote areas in Rwanda for years; Flytrex is testing food delivery in Raleigh, NC & Amazon Prime Air is developing its own drone delivery system. Drone delivery won’t replace current delivery methods, particularly in cities where air traffic congestion is high, but it’ll offer an interesting option for those hard-to-reach places around the globe when it finally does arrive.
