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I have a lot of doubts on the cost/efficiency of this. Keeping things airborne will always cost a lot more energy than rolling things around. Ground-based deliv

I have a lot of doubts on the cost/efficiency of this. Keeping things airborne will always cost a lot more energy than rolling things around. Ground-based delivery robots make some sense, air-based ones likely don't.

lumost 6y ago
It's likely that the energy cost of drone delivery is a small fraction of the cost a human delivery driver incurs walking to a stoop, particularly if one considers the not insignificant injury risk. flight is appealing over ground based drones as one delivery truck or base station could concurrently service multiple blocks with lower risk of someone abducting or damaging the drone. Although in all honesty I'm not sure if weight, range, carrying capacity, or speed would work out in a compelling form factor.
- pc86 6y ago
  You're naive if you think a company is going to take on increases costs via drone-based deliveries to marginally decrease delivery driver injury risk.
  - dannyw 6y ago
    Even if you’re a “independent contractor” for Uber, if you get injured while working, their health insurance will kick in as a last resort.
  - chokeartist 6y ago
    Agreed that will never be the sole motivation. But faster delivery times is something that people will most definitely consider - I know I would. Want that ice cream in 2 hours? $3 delivery via car. Want that ice cream in 15 minutes? $10 delivery via drone.
xnx 6y ago
I had the crazy thought that drones ladden with deliveries could dispatch from the top of a central tall structure (like a skyscraper or antenna), take advantage of the height differential to efficiently glide toward their delivery destination, and then make their return with less weight to carry. Probably very few locales where this could make sense compared to automated sidewalk deliveries like Starship. The speed of the delivery could be astoundingly fast though.
- pc86 6y ago
  There aren't many warehouses at the top of skyscrapers, though.
  - jdironman 6y ago
    And you have to move not only the drones, but also the packages to the top.
- kreeben 6y ago
  >> drones ladden with deliveries could dispatch from the top of a central tall structure Wouldn't the cost of elevating the loaded drones to the rooftop of that tall structure negate any monetary gains? Wouldn't the cost be exactly that of simply using grounded vehicles that elevate themselves? (edited for clarity)
  - hatsunearu 6y ago
    lifting those payloads up the tower would just use the commerical power grid and not batteries that you also have to carry up. cables and motors are much more efficient than propellers.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
  - selectodude 6y ago
    An elevator?
    - kreeben 6y ago
      An elevator indeed. But there's a cost involved in elevating goods to the top of a tall building. My question was, is that cost smaller than the cost of having drones with elevation capabilities take of from the ground?
victorthehuman 6y ago
If we're talking about fixed wing drones in rural environments then it does makes sense. A good example of that is this drone delivery service in Rwanda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEbRVNxL44c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEbRVNxL44c
clort 6y ago
Energy cost per time of use. drones might be a lot quicker to do the delivery job, particularly if the delivery point needs to be more secure than just tossing packages onto the front porch in plain sight as currently seems to be done.

lumost 6y ago

It's likely that the energy cost of drone delivery is a small fraction of the cost a human delivery driver incurs walking to a stoop, particularly if one considers the not insignificant injury risk. flight is appealing over ground based drones as one delivery truck or base station could concurrently service multiple blocks with lower risk of someone abducting or damaging the drone. Although in all honesty I'm not sure if weight, range, carrying capacity, or speed would work out in a compelling form factor.

pc86 6y ago
You're naive if you think a company is going to take on increases costs via drone-based deliveries to marginally decrease delivery driver injury risk.
- dannyw 6y ago
  Even if you’re a “independent contractor” for Uber, if you get injured while working, their health insurance will kick in as a last resort.
- chokeartist 6y ago
  Agreed that will never be the sole motivation. But faster delivery times is something that people will most definitely consider - I know I would. Want that ice cream in 2 hours? $3 delivery via car. Want that ice cream in 15 minutes? $10 delivery via drone.

xnx 6y ago

I had the crazy thought that drones ladden with deliveries could dispatch from the top of a central tall structure (like a skyscraper or antenna), take advantage of the height differential to efficiently glide toward their delivery destination, and then make their return with less weight to carry. Probably very few locales where this could make sense compared to automated sidewalk deliveries like Starship. The speed of the delivery could be astoundingly fast though.

pc86 6y ago
There aren't many warehouses at the top of skyscrapers, though.
- jdironman 6y ago
  And you have to move not only the drones, but also the packages to the top.
kreeben 6y ago
>> drones ladden with deliveries could dispatch from the top of a central tall structure Wouldn't the cost of elevating the loaded drones to the rooftop of that tall structure negate any monetary gains? Wouldn't the cost be exactly that of simply using grounded vehicles that elevate themselves? (edited for clarity)
- hatsunearu 6y ago
  lifting those payloads up the tower would just use the commerical power grid and not batteries that you also have to carry up. cables and motors are much more efficient than propellers.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
- selectodude 6y ago
  An elevator?
  - kreeben 6y ago
    An elevator indeed. But there's a cost involved in elevating goods to the top of a tall building. My question was, is that cost smaller than the cost of having drones with elevation capabilities take of from the ground?

victorthehuman 6y ago

If we're talking about fixed wing drones in rural environments then it does makes sense. A good example of that is this drone delivery service in Rwanda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEbRVNxL44c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEbRVNxL44c

clort 6y ago

Energy cost per time of use. drones might be a lot quicker to do the delivery job, particularly if the delivery point needs to be more secure than just tossing packages onto the front porch in plain sight as currently seems to be done.