Commercial Drone Applications

[Jonfliesgoats]

Here's a nice presentation from the nerds at RAND regarding commercial drones.  Hopefully this sparks some discussion.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE230.html

[Gianni1122]

Using drones as a parcel delivery service is out of the question IMO. UPS can deliver ~30 million packages in a day and probably cary at least 50 packages per truck driver. A drone could maybe make 2 or so deliveries per trip. Just thinking of the noise pollution of 15 million drones gives me a headache... When drone delivery becomes a thing, it will be expensive, impractical and very limited. This is all assuming that a company could research, fund and develop a way to effectively and accurately handle that many drones at once without violating any FAA regs (probably have to write, propose and pass new FAA legislation). It might also worth mentioning the possible loss of jobs. Historically speaking, every time a company goes automated, people lose jobs. Just ask Charlie Bucket's dad https://youtu.be/NymZWDIG3JQ

 

There are far more practical commercial applications, however. Such as, the surveying of ice caps, volcanoes, forest fires, floods etc. They could be used to more safely observe/Inspect power lines, traffic and traffic accidents, skyscrapers, crop fields, live stock etc. We could even study wildlife including endangered species with minimum interference. The list goes on.

Using drones to deliver grandpas tube socks is a selfish implementation of a beneficial technology. I just think most people/businesses are focusing on this whole "drones as mailmen" thing too much and thereby shifting focus away from other (more "helpful") uses.

[Jonfliesgoats]

A lot of it is also a lobbying effort for FAA and other ICAO regulatory agencies to alter their regulations.  There are a lot of technical problems associated with drone delivery (the RAND video mentions delivery to apartment blocks, for example).  Still, I am not sure interest in delivery detracts from surveillance and other applications.  There are lots of companies developing drones for everything from military applications to real estate sales to power line patrol.  I think there is plenty of amateur and commercial interest in these things to fuel development in many directions.  I may be in a bubble of technophiles, however.  My perceptions may be skewed..  

Also, as soon as valuable goods are flying on drones, criminals will find ways to capture/disable those drones to access the cargo.  There will be a learning curve as drone-delivered-pizzas get pilfered by enterprising teenagers.      The complexities of dropping a package in someone's front yard or garden are simple compared to flying a drone under an overhang to a person's doorstep or mailbox.  There will be some frustrations with delivery.  Perhaps a SMS or other message telling people to go outsside when their drone is five and the. two minutes away would help?

I see drones as a valuable addition to commercial aviation rather than a replacement to manned aircraft.  Like many technologies, it's easy to see them as a panacea of opportunity without acknowledging inherent limitations.  In defense, they have distinct limitations and advantages which make them a great partner to manned assets.  I suspect commerce will see the same thing.

 

 

For automation and jobs: 

http://www.eater.com/2016/7/1/12077990/robot-burgers-san-francisco-momentum-machines

 

Edited January 1, 2017 by Jonfliesgoats