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Here's why delivery drones may soon become the new standard in the US
Here's why delivery drones may soon become the new standard in the US

New York Post

time6 days ago

  • Business
  • New York Post

Here's why delivery drones may soon become the new standard in the US

Delivery drones are so fast that they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the United States. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration approved commercial home deliveries with drones, the service has mostly been confined to a few suburbs and rural areas. Advertisement That could soon change. The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operator's line of sight and therefore over longer distances. 6 The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operator's line of sight and therefore over longer distances. AP A handful of companies do that now, but they had to obtain waivers and certification as an air carrier to deliver packages. Advertisement While the rule is intended to streamline the process, authorized retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more U.S. households. Walmart's multistate expansion Walmart and Wing, a drone company owned by Google parent Alphabet, currently provide deliveries from 18 Walmart stores in the Dallas area. By next summer, they expect to expand to 100 Walmart stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa, Florida. Advertisement After launching its Prime Air delivery service in College Station, Texas, in late 2022, Amazon received FAA permission last year to operate autonomous drones that fly beyond a pilot's line of sight. The e-commerce company has since expanded its drone delivery program to suburban Phoenix and has plans to offer the service in Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and Kansas City. 6 Authorized retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more U.S. households. AP The concept of drone delivery has been around for well over a decade. Drone maker Zipline, which works with Walmart in Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, began making deliveries to hospitals in Rwanda in 2016. Advertisement Israel-based Flytrex, one of the drone companies DoorDash works with to carry out orders, launched drone delivery to households in Iceland in 2017. But Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said drone delivery has been in 'treading water mode' in the U.S. for years, with service providers afraid to scale up because the regulatory framework wasn't in place. 'You want to be at the right moment where there's an overlap between the customer demand, the partner demand, the technical readiness, and the regulatory readiness,' Woodworth said. 'I think that we're reaching that planetary alignment right now.' 6 The concept of drone delivery has been around for well over a decade, with companies like DoorDash that launched drone delivery to households in Iceland in 2017. AP Flying ice cream and eggs DoorDash, which works with both Wing and Flytrex, tested drone drop-offs in rural Virginia and greater Dallas before announcing an expansion into Charlotte. Getting takeout food this way may sound futuristic, but it's starting to feel normal in suburban Brisbane, Australia, where DoorDash has employed delivery drones for several years, said Harrison Shih, who leads the company's drone program. 'It comes so fast, and it's something flying into your neighborhood, but it really does seem like part of everyday life,' Shih said. Even though delivery drones are still considered novel, the cargo they carry can be pretty mundane. Advertisement Walmart said the top items from the more than 150,000 drone deliveries the nation's largest retailer has completed since 2021 include ice cream, eggs, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Unlike traditional delivery, where one driver may have a truck full of packages, drones generally deliver one small order at a time. Wing's drones can carry packages weighing up to 2.5 pounds. Advertisement They can travel up to 12 miles round-trip. One pilot can oversee up to 32 drones. Zipline has a drone that can carry up to 4 pounds and fly 120 miles round-trip. Some drones, like Amazon's, can carry heavier packages. Advertisement Once an order is placed, it's packaged for flight and attached to a drone at a launch site. The drone automatically finds a route that avoids obstacles. A pilot observes as the aircraft flies to its destinations and lowers its cargo to the ground with retractable cords. Risks and rewards of commercial drones Shakiba Enayati, an assistant professor of supply chain and analytics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, researches ways that drones could speed the delivery of critical health supplies like donated organs and blood samples. Advertisement The unmanned aircraft offer some advantages as a transport method, such as reduced emissions and improved access to goods for rural residents, Enayati said. But she also sees plenty of obstacles. Right now, it costs around $13.50 per delivery to carry a package by drone versus $2 for a traditional vehicle, Enayati said. Drones need well-trained employees to oversee them, and can have a hard time in certain weather. Drones can also have mid-air collisions or tumble from the sky. But people have accepted the risk of road accidents because they know the advantages of driving, Enayati said. 6 Even though delivery drones are still considered novel, the cargo they carry can be pretty mundane, according to reports. AP She thinks the same thing could happen with drones, especially as improved technology reduces the chance for errors. Woodworth added that U.S. airspace is tightly controlled, and companies need to demonstrate to the FAA that their drones are safe and reliable before they are cleared to fly. Even under the proposed new rules, the FAA would set detailed requirements for drone operators. 'That's why it takes so long to build a business in the space. But I think it leads to everybody fundamentally building higher quality things,' Woodworth said. Others worry that drones may potentially replace human delivery drivers. Shih thinks that's unlikely. 6 Unlike traditional delivery, where one driver may have a truck full of packages, drones generally deliver one small order at a time. AP One of DoorDash's most popular items is 24-packs of water, Shih said, which aren't realistic for existing drones to ferry. 'I believe that drone delivery can be fairly ubiquitous and can cover a lot of things. We just don't think it's probable today that it'll carry a 40-pound bag of dog food to you,' Shih said. The view from the ground in Texas DoorDash said that in the areas where it offers drone deliveries, orders requiring the services of human delivery drivers also increase. That's been the experience of John Kim, the owner of PurePoke restaurant in Frisco, Texas. Kim signed on to offer drone deliveries through DoorDash last year. He doesn't know what percentage of his DoorDash customers are choosing the service instead of regular delivery, but his overall DoorDash orders are up 15% this year. Kim said he's heard no complaints from drone delivery customers. 'It's very stable, maybe even better than some of the drivers that toss it in the back with all the other orders,' Kim said. For some, drones can simply be a nuisance. When the FAA asked for public comments on Amazon's request to expand deliveries in College Station, numerous residents expressed concern that drones with cameras violated their privacy. Amazon says its drones use cameras and sensors to navigate and avoid obstacles but may record overhead videos of people while completing a delivery. Other residents complained about noise. 'It sounds like a giant nagging mosquito,' one respondent wrote. Amazon has since released a quieter drone. But others love the service. 6 Masslie Arias, of DoorDash, prepares to load a delivery package on a hovering drone Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. AP Janet Toth of Frisco, Texas, said she saw drone deliveries in Korea years ago and wondered why the U.S. didn't have them. So she was thrilled when DoorDash began providing drone delivery in her neighborhood. Toth now orders drone delivery a few times a month. Her 9-year-old daughter Julep said friends often come over to watch the drone. 'I love to go outside, wave at the drone, say 'Thank you' and get the food,' Julep Toth said.

Delivery drones may soon take off in the US. Here's why
Delivery drones may soon take off in the US. Here's why

The Star

time6 days ago

  • Business
  • The Star

Delivery drones may soon take off in the US. Here's why

Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the United States. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration approved commercial home deliveries with drones, the service mostly has been confined to a few suburbs and rural areas. That could soon change. The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operator's line of sight and therefore over longer distances. A handful of companies do that now, but they had to obtain waivers and certification as an air carrier to deliver packages. While the rule is intended to streamline the process, authorised retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more US households. Walmart's multistate expansion Walmart and Wing, a drone company owned by Google parent Alphabet, currently provide deliveries from 18 Walmart stores in the Dallas area. By next summer, they expect to expand to 100 Walmart stores in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Houston; and Orlando and Tampa, Florida. After launching its Prime Air delivery service in College Station, Texas, in late 2022, Amazon received FAA permission last year to operate autonomous drones that fly beyond a pilot's line of sight. The e-commerce company has since expand its drone delivery program to suburban Phoenix and has plans to offer the service in Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and Kansas City. The concept of drone delivery has been around for well over a decade. Drone maker Zipline, which works with Walmart in Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, began making deliveries to hospitals in Rwanda in 2016. Israel-based Flytrex, one of the drone companies DoorDash works with to carry out orders, launched drone delivery to households in Iceland in 2017. But Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said drone delivery has been in "treading water mode' in the US for years, with service providers afraid to scale up because the regulatory framework wasn't in place. "You want to be at the right moment where there's an overlap between the customer demand, the partner demand, the technical readiness and the regulatory readiness,' Woodworth said. "I think that we're reaching that planetary alignment right now.' Flying ice cream and eggs DoorDash, which works with both Wing and Flytrex, tested drone drop-offs in rural Virginia and greater Dallas before announcing an expansion into Charlotte. Getting takeout food this way may sound futuristic, but it's starting to feel normal in suburban Brisbane, Australia, where DoorDash has employed delivery drones for several years, said Harrison Shih, who leads the company's drone program. "It comes so fast and it's something flying into your neighbourhood, but it really does seem like part of everyday life,' Shih said. Even though delivery drones are still considered novel, the cargo they carry can be pretty mundane. Walmart said the top items from the more than 150,000 drone deliveries the nation's largest retailer has completed since 2021 include ice cream, eggs and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Unlike traditional delivery, where one driver may have a truck full of packages, drones generally deliver one small order at a time. Wing's drones can carry packages weighing up to 2.5 pounds (1.1kg). They can travel up to 12 miles (19km) round trip. One pilot can oversee up to 32 drones. Zipline has a drone that can carry up to 4 pounds (1.8kg) and fly 120 miles (193km) round trip. Some drones, like Amazon's, can carry heavier packages. Once an order is placed, it's packaged for flight and attached to a drone at a launch site. The drone automatically finds a route that avoids obstacles. A pilot observes as the aircraft flies to its destinations and lowers its cargo to the ground with retractable cords. Risks and rewards of commercial drones Shakiba Enayati, an assistant professor of supply chain and analytics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, researches ways that drones could speed the delivery of critical health supplies like donated organs and blood samples. The unmanned aircraft offer some advantages as a transport method, such as reduced emissions and improved access to goods for rural residents, Enayati said. But she also sees plenty of obstacles. Right now, it costs around US$13.50 (RM 56.91) per delivery to carry a package by drone versus US$2 (RM8.43) for a traditional vehicle, Enayati said. Drones need well-trained employees to oversee them and can have a hard time in certain weather. Drones also can have mid-air collisions or tumble from the sky. But people have accepted the risk of road accidents because they know the advantages of driving, Enayati said. She thinks the same thing could happen with drones, especially as improved technology reduces the chance for errors. Woodworth added that US airspace is tightly controlled, and companies need to demonstrate to the FAA that their drones are safe and reliable before they are cleared to fly. Even under the proposed new rules, the FAA would set detailed requirements for drone operators. "That's why it takes so long to build a business in the space. But I think it leads to everybody fundamentally building higher quality things,' Woodworth said. Others worry that drones may potentially replace human delivery drivers. Shih thinks that's unlikely. One of DoorDash's most popular items is 24-packs of water, Shih said, which aren't realistic for existing drones to ferry. "I believe that drone delivery can be fairly ubiquitous and can cover a lot of things. We just don't think its probable today that it'll carry a 40-pound (18kg) bag of dog food to you," Shih said. The view from the ground in Texas DoorDash said that in the areas where it offers drone deliveries, orders requiring the services of human delivery drivers also increase. That's been the experience of John Kim, the owner of PurePoke restaurant in Frisco, Texas. Kim signed on to offer drone deliveries through DoorDash last year. He doesn't know what percentage of his DoorDash customers are choosing the service instead of regular delivery, but his overall DoorDash orders are up 15% this year. Kim said he's heard no complaints from drone delivery customers. "It's very stable, maybe even better than some of the drivers that toss it in the back with all the other orders,' Kim said. For some, drones can simply be a nuisance. When the FAA asked for public comments on Amazon's request to expand deliveries in College Station, numerous residents expressed concern that drones with cameras violated their privacy. Amazon says its drones use cameras and sensors to navigate and avoid obstacles but may record overhead videos of people while completing a delivery. Other residents complained about noise. "It sounds like a giant nagging mosquito,' one respondent wrote. Amazon has since released a quieter drone. But others love the service. Janet Toth of Frisco, Texas, said she saw drone deliveries in Korea years ago and wondered why the US didn't have them. So she was thrilled when DoorDash began providing drone delivery in her neighbourhood. Toth now orders drone delivery a few times a month. Her nine-year-old daughter Julep said friends often come over to watch the drone. "I love to go outside, wave at the drone, say 'Thank you' and get the food,' Julep Toth said. – AP

Delivery drones may soon take off in the US. Here's why
Delivery drones may soon take off in the US. Here's why

Kyodo News

time7 days ago

  • Business
  • Kyodo News

Delivery drones may soon take off in the US. Here's why

Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the United States. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration approved commercial home deliveries with drones, the service mostly has been confined to a few suburbs and rural areas. That could soon change. The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operator's line of sight and therefore over longer distances. A handful of companies do that now, but they had to obtain waivers and certification as an air carrier to deliver packages. While the rule is intended to streamline the process, authorized retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more U.S. households. Walmart's multistate expansion Walmart and Wing, a drone company owned by Google parent Alphabet, currently provide deliveries from 18 Walmart stores in the Dallas area. By next summer, they expect to expand to 100 Walmart stores in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Houston; and Orlando and Tampa, Florida. After launching its Prime Air delivery service in College Station, Texas, in late 2022, Amazon received FAA permission last year to operate autonomous drones that fly beyond a pilot's line of sight. The e-commerce company has since expand its drone delivery program to suburban Phoenix and has plans to offer the service in Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and Kansas City. The concept of drone delivery has been around for well over a decade. Drone maker Zipline, which works with Walmart in Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, began making deliveries to hospitals in Rwanda in 2016. Israel-based Flytrex, one of the drone companies DoorDash works with to carry out orders, launched drone delivery to households in Iceland in 2017. But Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said drone delivery has been in 'treading water mode' in the U.S. for years, with service providers afraid to scale up because the regulatory framework wasn't in place. 'You want to be at the right moment where there's an overlap between the customer demand, the partner demand, the technical readiness and the regulatory readiness,' Woodworth said. 'I think that we're reaching that planetary alignment right now.' Flying ice cream and eggs DoorDash, which works with both Wing and Flytrex, tested drone drop-offs in rural Virginia and greater Dallas before announcing an expansion into Charlotte. Getting takeout food this way may sound futuristic, but it's starting to feel normal in suburban Brisbane, Australia, where DoorDash has employed delivery drones for several years, said Harrison Shih, who leads the company's drone program. 'It comes so fast and it's something flying into your neighborhood, but it really does seem like part of everyday life,' Shih said. Even though delivery drones are still considered novel, the cargo they carry can be pretty mundane. Walmart said the top items from the more than 150,000 drone deliveries the nation's largest retailer has completed since 2021 include ice cream, eggs and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Unlike traditional delivery, where one driver may have a truck full of packages, drones generally deliver one small order at a time. Wing's drones can carry packages weighing up to 2.5 pounds. They can travel up to 12 miles round trip. One pilot can oversee up to 32 drones. Zipline has a drone that can carry up to 4 pounds and fly 120 miles round trip. Some drones, like Amazon's, can carry heavier packages. Once an order is placed, it's packaged for flight and attached to a drone at a launch site. The drone automatically finds a route that avoids obstacles. A pilot observes as the aircraft flies to its destinations and lowers its cargo to the ground with retractable cords. Risks and rewards of commercial drones Shakiba Enayati, an assistant professor of supply chain and analytics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, researches ways that drones could speed the delivery of critical health supplies like donated organs and blood samples. The unmanned aircraft offer some advantages as a transport method, such as reduced emissions and improved access to goods for rural residents, Enayati said. But she also sees plenty of obstacles. Right now, it costs around $13.50 per delivery to carry a package by drone versus $2 for a traditional vehicle, Enayati said. Drones need well-trained employees to oversee them and can have a hard time in certain weather. Drones also can have mid-air collisions or tumble from the sky. But people have accepted the risk of road accidents because they know the advantages of driving, Enayati said. She thinks the same thing could happen with drones, especially as improved technology reduces the chance for errors. Woodworth added that U.S. airspace is tightly controlled, and companies need to demonstrate to the FAA that their drones are safe and reliable before they are cleared to fly. Even under the proposed new rules, the FAA would set detailed requirements for drone operators. 'That's why it takes so long to build a business in the space. But I think it leads to everybody fundamentally building higher quality things,' Woodworth said. Others worry that drones may potentially replace human delivery drivers. Shih thinks that's unlikely. One of DoorDash's most popular items is 24-packs of water, Shih said, which aren't realistic for existing drones to ferry. 'I believe that drone delivery can be fairly ubiquitous and can cover a lot of things. We just don't think its probable today that it'll carry a 40-pound bag of dog food to you," Shih said. The view from the ground in Texas DoorDash said that in the areas where it offers drone deliveries, orders requiring the services of human delivery drivers also increase. That's been the experience of John Kim, the owner of PurePoke restaurant in Frisco, Texas. Kim signed on to offer drone deliveries through DoorDash last year. He doesn't know what percentage of his DoorDash customers are choosing the service instead of regular delivery, but his overall DoorDash orders are up 15% this year. Kim said he's heard no complaints from drone delivery customers. 'It's very stable, maybe even better than some of the drivers that toss it in the back with all the other orders,' Kim said. For some, drones can simply be a nuisance. When the FAA asked for public comments on Amazon's request to expand deliveries in College Station, numerous residents expressed concern that drones with cameras violated their privacy. Amazon says its drones use cameras and sensors to navigate and avoid obstacles but may record overhead videos of people while completing a delivery. Other residents complained about noise. 'It sounds like a giant nagging mosquito,' one respondent wrote. Amazon has since released a quieter drone. But others love the service. Janet Toth of Frisco, Texas, said she saw drone deliveries in Korea years ago and wondered why the U.S. didn't have them. So she was thrilled when DoorDash began providing drone delivery in her neighborhood. Toth now orders drone delivery a few times a month. Her 9-year-old daughter Julep said friends often come over to watch the drone. 'I love to go outside, wave at the drone, say 'Thank you' and get the food,' Julep Toth said. ___ AP Video Journalist Kendria LaFleur contributed from Frisco, Texas.

Delivery drones may soon take off in the US, here's why
Delivery drones may soon take off in the US, here's why

Qatar Tribune

time7 days ago

  • Business
  • Qatar Tribune

Delivery drones may soon take off in the US, here's why

Agencies Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the United States. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration approved commercial home deliveries with drones, the service mostly has been confined to a few suburbs and rural areas. That could soon change. The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operator's line of sight and therefore over longer distances. A handful of companies do that now, but they had to obtain waivers and certification as an air carrier to deliver packages. While the rule is intended to streamline the process, authorized retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more U.S. and Wing, a drone company owned by Google parent Alphabet, currently provide deliveries from 18 Walmart stores in the Dallas area. By next summer, they expect to expand to 100 Walmart stores in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Houston; and Orlando and Tampa, Florida. After launching its Prime Air delivery service in College Station, Texas, in late 2022, Amazon received FAA permission last year to operate autonomous drones that fly beyond a pilot's line of sight. The e-commerce company has since expand its drone delivery program to suburban Phoenix and has plans to offer the service in Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and Kansas City. The concept of drone delivery has been around for well over a decade. Drone maker Zipline, which works with Walmart in Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, began making deliveries to hospitals in Rwanda in 2016. Israel-based Flytrex, one of the drone companies DoorDash works with to carry out orders, launched drone delivery to households in Iceland in Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said drone delivery has been in 'treading water mode' in the U.S. for years, with service providers afraid to scale up because the regulatory framework wasn't in place. 'You want to be at the right moment where there's an overlap between the customer demand, the partner demand, the technical readiness and the regulatory readiness,' Woodworth said. 'I think that we're reaching that planetary alignment right now.' DoorDash, which works with both Wing and Flytrex, tested drone drop-offs in rural Virginia and greater Dallas before announcing an expansion into Charlotte. Getting takeout food this way may sound futuristic, but it's starting to feel normal in suburban Brisbane, Australia, where DoorDash has employed delivery drones for several years, said Harrison Shih, who leads the company's drone program. 'It comes so fast and it's something flying into your neighborhood, but it really does seem like part of everyday life,' Shih said. Even though delivery drones are still considered novel, the cargo they carry can be pretty mundane. Walmart said the top items from the more than 150,000 drone deliveries the nation's largest retailer has completed since 2021 include ice cream, eggs and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Unlike traditional delivery, where one driver may have a truck full of packages, drones generally deliver one small order at a time. Wing's drones can carry packages weighing up to 2.5 pounds. They can travel up to 12 miles round trip. One pilot can oversee up to 32 drones. Zipline has a drone that can carry up to 4 pounds and fly 120 miles round trip. Some drones, like Amazon's, can carry heavier packages.

Drone deliveries poised to change the way people get their groceries
Drone deliveries poised to change the way people get their groceries

Daily Record

time7 days ago

  • Business
  • Daily Record

Drone deliveries poised to change the way people get their groceries

Delivery drones can now bring ice cream and other items quickly to customers' doors, with US retailers planning to expand drone deliveries to more cities soon. 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. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. ‌ 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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