Drone deliveries poised to change the way people get their groceries
Delivery drones can now whisk a pint of ice cream to a customer's doorstep before it melts, yet the promise of this futuristic technology has taken its time to catch on in the United States. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave the green light for commercial home deliveries by drone, the service remains limited to select suburbs and rural areas, but change is on the horizon.
Last week, the FAA proposed new rules to ease restrictions, allowing drones to fly beyond an operator's line of sight and cover longer distances without special waivers. This move aims to open the skies for drone deliveries to reach millions more homes across the US.
Retail giants are gearing up for expansion. Walmart, working with Alphabet's drone company Wing, currently operates drone deliveries from 18 Dallas-area stores, with plans to grow to 100 locations in cities such as Atlanta, Houston, and Orlando by next summer.
Amazon, after launching its Prime Air drone delivery service in Texas last year, is expanding to suburbs in Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, and Kansas City.
Though drone delivery has been around for over a decade, with Zipline providing hospital deliveries in Rwanda since 2016 and Flytrex serving Icelandic households since 2017, in the US the technology has been 'treading water,' according to Wing CEO Adam Woodworth. Service providers have hesitated to scale up without a clear regulatory framework.
Drone deliveries in the US often carry everyday items. Walmart reports that ice cream, eggs, and peanut butter cups are among the top-selling products delivered by drone since 2021.
Unlike traditional delivery vans that drop off multiple packages at once, drones usually carry one small order per flight.
Wing's drones handle up to 2.5 pounds and cover about 12 miles round trip, with one pilot managing up to 32 drones simultaneously. Zipline's larger drones can carry up to 4 pounds over 120 miles, while Amazon's can transport even heavier parcels.
Once an order is placed, packages are loaded onto drones at launch sites. The drones use automatic route planning to avoid obstacles, with a pilot monitoring the journey and lowering the delivery gently to the ground using retractable cords.
Experts see both benefits and challenges in drone delivery. Shakiba Enayati, assistant professor of supply chain and analytics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, highlights advantages such as lower emissions and better access for rural communities.
But costs remain high, roughly $13.50 per drone delivery compared to $2 by traditional vehicles, and weather, safety, and technical hurdles persist.
Risks include collisions and drones falling from the sky, though Enayati suggests public acceptance could grow as technology improves, much like how people tolerate road accidents despite risks.
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Privacy concerns have also been raised. Some residents in Texas voiced worries over drones equipped with cameras potentially infringing on their privacy.
Amazon states that cameras and sensors are used only for navigation and obstacle avoidance, but may record overhead footage during delivery.
Despite fears that drones could replace human drivers, companies say the two complement each other. DoorDash notes that areas offering drone deliveries see an overall rise in orders, not a replacement of traditional delivery.
Restaurant owner John Kim in Frisco, Texas, reports a 15 percent increase in DoorDash orders since adding drone delivery.
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