But, over time, the industry self-corrects and the technology ends up being used for things that best fit it. But, when initial unreasonable expectations bust, we get to where we are right now, where it looks like the whole thing is a bust. Initial expectations that drones would take over everything didn’t pan out, but this happens with new technologies all the time. We’re really at the downhill side of the hype cycle. There are some places where drones are still not only a good option, but the best option. Most importantly, people don’t care how the package or food gets there as long as it does.īut, this doesn’t mean drone deliveries are worthless. The little six-wheeled delivery robots have been able to do everything delivery drones can’t do without the cost of a poorly-paid gig worker. Bad weather, FAA regulations, and other things can’t stop these things on the ground.Īutonomous vehicles have even evaded automobile regulations and the need for perfection by moving to the sidewalks. Not only are there gig workers who can move fast and not break things on bikes, scooters, and in cars, but autonomous vehicles that move along on the ground are another good alternative.

Given all of these limitations, there are other services that can do the job better. So, it’s only worth it in places where it could be done for the same price or cheaper than normal deliveries, which isn’t everywhere. The other thing is that people don’t want to pay for drone delivery. This leaves only small niches for drone delivery, and it doesn’t work at scale. Then, add that range is limited, and you end up with some very small and isolate delivery zones, full of apartments, trees, and other places where drones can’t easily deliver. So, once again, 30-minute delivery isn’t going to happen. Outside of Phoenix, there are many places with harsh winters, rainy summers, constant wind, and other things that keep drones out of the air. Plus, Phoenix does occasionally have horrific winds, strong thunderstorms, and other weather that makes drones not work out. This leaves only a very small percentage of homes serviceable by drones, even in Phoenix. That’s not always available, even in single family housing. But, even then, there still needs to be a pretty big space to do this safely. As autonomous vehicles have shown us, even one accident can majorly hurt the industry, so this has to be perfect, despite perfection basically being impossible.Ībout the only safe way to do this at this point is to to keep the drones above the complexity and drop the packages into the landing zone with a parachute or a cable. You’d think that big lawns and yards would leave a lot of room for drones to safely land and drop their cargo, but there are also trees, animals, people, and swimming pools that can challenge even the best autonomous drone software. The other problem is the complex nature of the suburban environment. Permission is possible, but only on a flight-by-flight basis.

This leaves some big areas of the metro area where drones would really, really have to prove themselves before the FAA would even consider letting them fly without pilots in those areas. Not only does Sky Harbor have restricted airspace, but there’s a bunch of small airports and an Air Force base. Most of the city is in zones where drones can’t just be flown. The weather is usually good, the sprawl leaves a lot of room for deliveries, and the government in Arizona isn’t the kind to regulate drones to death the way a place like California or New York would.īut, there are some not-so-obvious problems.įirst off, there’s the problem of airspace. The video uses Phoenix, Arizona as a great example of a place that should be perfect for drones. There’s still demand for fast and cheap delivery with minimal environmental impact, but most of the big efforts have been closed down or left on the back burner. If anything, packages and deliveries happen slower than they did before. Food’s still being dropped off by gig drivers, and nobody’s getting a new iPhone 18XXL dropped onto their lawns. Despite all of the excitement and all of the big investment in drone programs, we still don’t have drone delivery in most places.

Drone fly zones phoenix