Aaron Berkowitz – General Assignment Reporter
Amazon recently released a video demonstrating their latest project, which focuses solely on utilizing drones as another form of carrying/delivering service to their customers. The drones or Octocopters have only successfully carried packages up to five pounds during testing, but with time who really knows what they will be capable of delivering?
With attention drawn to the fact that other businesses around the world, including a Dominos in the UK, have already at least tampered with the use of drones for deliveries, the popularity of Amazon makes me wonder if what they are trying to accomplish could affect the future of our country. When I first saw the viral video showing the drones flying during testing, I was reminded of the Will Smith film, I Robot. Obviously, to those who saw the film, the use of drones is a long way from the futuristic technology that was depicted but imagining them flying through the sky making deliveries on a regular basis is still mind blowing to me.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, released statements saying that they are optimistic for the implementation of drones becoming a part of their delivery service sooner rather than later. In a best-case scenario customers in a small radius of the company would be guaranteed the 30-minute delivery sometime in 2015.
30-minute delivery seems ideal for customers, as they would be able to order a smaller package and have it be there by the time an episode of their favorite television show is over, but I can’t help but to assess a few factors that could come into play.
If an unmanned drone is flying around with a package what’s stopping someone from shooting it out of the sky and not only taking the delivery, but also the drone itself? Amazon said it will have its Octocopter’s flying at a minimum of 300 feet to try and prevent thieves from taking merchandise, but the possibility of someone taking the drone and package during its drop off is still prominent. Maybe I am a bit skeptical about the use of drones but I can’t help but notice that since the interview with Bezos was released there has been more questions posed than answered.
By applying the use of drones, the companies are essentially replacing some of the need for drivers. This is another downside to this new advancement in creating a more speedy delivery because this could mean a lot of drivers lose their jobs in the future if this idea catches on with other companies.
Another factor that has surfaced through testing so far is that the drones only have a battery life of 30 minutes. If the battery only last 30 minutes what will happen after they make the delivery?
The development of the Octocopters is an exciting advancement in our country because not only does it decrease the amount of time it takes for a package to reach a customer, but also reduces the amount of pollution produced by all of the delivery trucks that drive around.
In regards to the negatives and positives that can be a result of Amazon beginning to use drones to transport merchandise faster, another question that arises is is it realistic? FedEx’s CEO, Fred Smith, and their CIO, Rob Carter, both said they are aware of capability of drones and are not worried about them affecting their business.
I don’t think that Amazon’s use of drones will affect the business of UPS or FedEx because they aren’t able to carry large packages yet so people will still rely on them for the heavier shipments.
I also don’t see Amazon being able to use the drones for deliveries in the US by 2015 because I found out they need to get clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to be able to fly in aircrafts in our airspace. This is still a big deal and worth keeping an eye out for because they could be permitted to begin deliveries in other countries first. We may see drones flying over our heads more casually, earlier than we expected.
