21/10/2015

For now we use them as a ‘toy’, but experiments with drones to deliver packages are in progress. Amazon is testing in the USA, DHL in Germany and Swiss Post in Switzerland. And Google is developing an own drone. They are convinced deliveries will be much faster, cheaper and above all more environmentally friendly.

This ‘ideal drone-world’ is still in a far future, because of global legislation restriction, for instance, stating that drones must be in sight of the pilot on the ground. That is impossible for package delivery.

However Amazon, the US e-commerce giant, is already fully experimenting with drones transport. They calculated that a 350 million euros investment to purchase tens of thousands of drones and making them operational would result in thousands of extra employees, to lead the various flights in the right direction. This is based on 400 million packages per year. An excellent online communication platform will be the base.

Only benefits?

Through this automation, Amazon says it will save on shipping costs. It doesn’t need vans and drivers anymore. Drone transport is cheaper and quicker and… no more problems with deliveries on remote areas. That is what the drone for Swiss Post makes so interesting. In Switzerland, many villages in the mountains are difficult to reach.

Of course critics still have plenty of questions. What about safety? And privacy? Are we waiting for a sky filled with drones? And how do you ensure against theft? Those in favor argument that for everything there is a solution, and they guarantee that within 5-10 years the drone will be part of our daily lives.

Jan de Jong