There are more and more articles in media about companies trying to use drones for delivering goods to customers.
A delivery drone is a drone used to transport different packages containing medical supplies, food, and other consumer goods. They are typically autonomous which means they have a set route they fly without direct control from an operator. Their advantage is speed of delivery and lower costs.
Drones can be used to transport medicinal products such as drugs, vaccines, medical samples… Their biggest advantage is delivering this kind of packages to remote areas with limited road connections. They can be also much faster than ordinary delivery options. When a person needs help at a remote location a drone can safely deliver needed medical supplies very fast. In some parts of the world, they have even tested drones delivering AEDs for patients with a heart attack. It is expected that medical drones will become more and more used especially in the remote parts of the world.
Another use for delivery drones is postal delivery, especially for remote parts of the world where the postman comes rarely. It could improve the quality of life for people living there, making them more connected to the rest of their country. In some parts the postal delivery has been tested for delivery to islands as it eliminates the need for riding there by boat.
Drones are also tested to be used for food delivery and even ship resupply and we’re sure there are a lot of other applications we will see in the future. Unfortunately, they are also used for illegal activities like transporting illegal goods over the borders or for example smuggling things into prisons.
One of the downsides of drone delivery is its reliability on weather conditions. It is impossible to use it in high winds, strong rain… but in the future, they will probably solve this problem.
