Cooper Manning
11/2/15
Drone Delivery or Not
Should Google or any company for that
matter start drone delivery systems? According to www.reuters.com Google plans of have drones
deliver packages in 2017. There are pros and cons to this argument. I can see
how it would be beneficial but I can also see how it could be bad. I personally
am not bothered by the idea of drone delivery but I understand why some people
are against it.
To start with the positive aspects, I
have researched several different websites. One of the big positive aspects is
the ecological affect that it will have. Many drones are electric and do not
produce toxic fumes. www.treehuger.com
says “battery-powered drone traveling
to bring your order versus a large emissions-spewing delivery truck is a vast
improvement” (Treacy, Megan)
Time magazine
brings up another good ecological point. When people order products online
verse driving to the store that is one less car on the roads. By using delivery
systems Time says “you’ll need to drive
to the store even less often, which in turn should reduce carbon emissions
further” (Walsh, Bryan) The other big advantage is speed. Drones take away
the middle man, the one who has to park the truck get out of the truck deliver
the package get back in the truck and drive to the next location. Drone delivery
systems eliminate that. These systems will reduce the amount of time it will
take to deliver packages.
The
biggest negatives behind drone delivery include potential hazards and security concerns.
When I say hazards I mean that a drone could malfunction and hit someone or
something. Imsuccesscenter.com said it very simply “In terms of personal injuries, the drone system is not a perfect
technology, and as such, problems can easily arise.” (Donahoe, Sean) There is definitely
risk involved with remote flying drones, things malfunction or even a bird collision
could cause a drone to fall on a person and injure them. The other big negative
is security. There are to aspects of this that I would like to bring up. The first
is that id like to bring up is package security what is to stop people from
shooting drone drones with an airsoft gun and stealing its cargo. Another
possible consideration would be people just grabbing the package from the
machine. Normally a delivery driver would be there overseeing the delivery with
the conventional method but who is there protecting packages when it is
machines are doing the deliveries. The other big concern is security. Many people
are feel that drones will be used to spy on civilians. www.treehugger.com says “ The drone will use GPS to find your house and
will almost definitely have a camera in order to safely land and navigate its
surroundings” (Treacy, Megan). These drones definitely have the potential to be
used to spy on people.
I
believe that drones can and will become very affective delivery systems for
companies like Google. As long as the FAA can set up safe and affective
regulations that protect both privacy and the safety of civilians then
companies like Google can thieve on this technology.
Citations
Morgan, David. "Google Aims to Begin Drone Package
Deliveries in 2017." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 02 Nov. 2015. Web.
02 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/02/us-usa-drones-alphabet-idUSKCN0SR20520151102>.
Treacy, Megan. "Amazon Drones: A Look at the Pros and
Cons." TreeHugger. N.p., 11 Dec. 2013. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/amazon-drones.html>.
Walsh, Bryan. "Shopping By Drone Could Be Good for the
Environment | TIME.com." Science Space Shopping By Drone Could Be Good
for the Environment Comments. Time Magazine, 3 Dec. 2013. Web. 02 Nov.
2015.
<http://science.time.com/2013/12/03/shopping-by-drone-could-be-good-for-the-environment/>.
Donahoe, Sean. "Amazon and Drone Delivery: The Pros and
Cons." Internet Marketing Success Center. N.p., 02 Mar. 2015. Web.
02 Nov. 2015.
<http://imsuccesscenter.com/amazon-and-drone-delivery-the-pros-and-cons/>.
While I see both sides of the argument here, I would probably sway towards the "No" side of the argument. Here is another thing to think about; how many drones are out there? A truck can carry hundreds of packages and mail items at a time. A drone can carry only one package at a time. If there is no drone available when you order the item, what if a queue forms and you end up waiting longer for your package than just using the traditional form of mail delivery via vehicle? Yes it's one more vehicle on the road that might not be environmental friendly, but the counterargument to that is there is one more drone in the sky - which might be uglier to look at than a car.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Chandler. The amount of online orders placed within just one minute alone at a company like Amazon is enough to put potentially thousands if not millions of drones in the sky at once (theoretically). I also believe that there are flaws within the idea itself like the weather for instance. The holiday season is a big time for online shopping and with the weather changing from ideal conditions to rain, snow, and wind, the unfavorable weather can last anywhere from 4-6 month depending on the area. This makes me wonder if it's even worth investing in if it's only going to be 100 percent reliable 3 quarters of the year. There is also the possibility that drones could get caught in sudden conditions such as heavy winds and thunderstorms. All of these factors could cause a delay in service and even a possible loss of products. That being said, there still may be untapped potential in the use of drone delivery service.
ReplyDeleteChandler makes a very good point stating that a drone flying through the air looks uglier than a truck driving down the road. Also I believe the idea of a drone flying through the sky delivering packages to the consumers house will make others skeptical. If I were walking down the street and saw this drone delivering packages it would freak me out. I have no idea who is controlling that drone and how in control that drone actually is and I would have the fear of drones falling out of the sky and harming myself (I know you touched up on that in your blog). Another possible flaw coming from drones are the possibility of the drones shutting down and failing. Technology fails all of the time, and if a consumer is waiting anxiously for their package to arrive by drone and never receive it due to technological problems, that will make them very irritated. Also Google using drones has the ability to take away thousands of jobs. If Google uses the drones and more and more business adapt to this mode of delivery, those companies will not have a need for a truck or a truck driver.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chandler’s point when he says that a drone can only carry one package at a time, meanwhile trucks can carry hundreds. Personally, the one problem I find with drones is the security issue, which you mentioned. Many people already believe in conspiracies that the government and companies are constantly watching them. Although I do not believe in the conspiracies, a lot of people do. I feel as if a lot of people will have a major problem if there in drones flying all over the place because people will constantly feel like they are being watched. Another problem that drones raise is a safety issue. What happens if a drone is flying and malfunctions and falls and hits somebody in the head? This will cause many issues in many different ways. I do not like the idea of drones because I think trucks do the deed quite well. Yes, trucks take up space and are not that eco friendly but they have always done the job of delivering packages well.
ReplyDeleteDrone delivery seems to be inevitable with all the hype it is receiving through the media and just how many companies are starting to make attempts at developing a drone for their deliveries. I agree that drone delivery presents both advantages and disadvantages to the delivery process and the efficiency of how packages get to their destinations.
ReplyDeleteI agree that drones can help the environment tremendously by cutting down the amount of gasoline used by cars traveling to stores and trucks delivering the packages, but drones can only carry one package at a time. This creates a great deal of air traffic and adds more to the idea of drones crashing into each other and falling from the sky. If the navigation on the drones was enhanced and made more efficient in determining what is flying around them they can potentially eliminate this idea. The landing of drones can be viewed as a problem as well. Amazon has developed the idea of printing out a big “a” and placing it wherever you wish the drone to drop your package on your property. This plays into the idea of fixing the navigation in order to have a more direct and secure path to its destination.
Drones create speed and efficiency in delivering packages, but how fast are these drones delivering these items? Amazon is attempting the idea of a 30-minute delivery window with their drones when they launch the program. Google does not seem to indicate how long the delivery period is with their products. With only being able to carry one product at a time and depending on the amount of drones available and the distance they need to travel will help determine their delivery time or give an estimate during the initial stages of this project.
Although drones are the future of small package delivery, for now trucks are still the most efficient way to deliver a mass amount of cargo in a short amount of time. When drones can compete with the large loads of packages then maybe we will get somewhere with eliminating the use of trucks and start benefitting the environment by cutting down on harmful toxins in the air.
I feel that drones can have positive affects, but I also see a lot of issues. I think that using drones for delivery are good because of speed. Customers will be able to get their packages in a more efficient time. They can order a package and receive soon after they place the order. This will help with the issue of customers waiting for their packages. Most customers complain that when ordering online delivery trucks can become delayed from weather or traffic which can cause their product to come later than it was supposed to. If drones are being used it saves the customer a trip to the store because if they need an item that day the drone will be able to bring it right away. This is a positive aspect of drones.
ReplyDeleteThe negative aspects of drones are if someone lives in the city where are the drones going to land. The drone cannot land in front of the apartment door. It will have to land outside their building and someone on the street could take their package before they get down to get it. Also if a customer orders a large item, how will the drone take the package to its desired location. Also what if they order a number of packages one small drone will not be able to take them all at once. This could create an issue. The main concern of most people is security issues. Drones have your address and has video feed of your house. If someone hacks into the drone that could cause a lot of issues because then the address could end up in the wrong hands. I think that drones have many positive aspects, but there are still a few issues I think companies need to work out before drones become their way of delivering packages.