Amazon recently announced the introduction of unmanned drones to deliver products within 30 minutes of ordering. This is certainly going to revolutionize the shipping industry and at the same time create a lot of concerns over safety and privacy of customers. Like all new technologies, the process will be improved over the years and this may just very well start a new era of delivery system.
Here is a look at some of the pros and cons of the delivery drones.
Pros:
- Faster Delivery Time: Delivery within 30 minutes can be compared to a purchase made physically at the store. On average, it will take an individual approximately 30 minutes to get ready, drive/walk/commute, search and pay for a product. Thus, the long wait time for online ordering is to become a thing of the past.
- Environmental Friendly: Drone delivery will eventually replace fuel burning delivery trucks/vans, thus reducing emissions. The battery powered drones will contribute towards reduction of overall energy consumption.
- Increase in Online Sales: I would place an order just to see this drone. I am sure many individual who never purchased anything online will do the same. This is an advantage for Amazon.
Cons:
- Safety: Imagine a drone landing on your front yard. Your dog suspects the drone is an intruder and attacks it. Your child finds it to be a new toy which you ordered for him and runs to hold it. There are uncountable number of safety hazards which can result from a drone visit.
- Privacy: There is a lot of buzz about the privacy of individuals who will use the service of the drones. The main concern is the camera images obtained by the drones. If not handled through proper privacy measures in place, the images can be used to violate human privacy.
- Job Loss: Unmanned drones will affect the overall shipping industry. Drones may eventually replace delivery men/women.
- Theft: The initial days of the drone delivery may see a large number of package theft as the packages will need to be attended to immediately upon delivery.
- Drone Accidents: No technology is perfect. I hope I don’t get hit by a falling malfunctioning drone in the future. And I hope no one else does.
Nonetheless, the idea is fabulous and is worthwhile to see in action.