drones and food

The sharing economy relies heavily on technology and the Internet. The increasing number of automobiles on the roads also increases the time taken from one place to another. With cooked food being perishable, is it then a viable option to adopt drones to deliver ready cooked meals?

(source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/272889)

Food delivery waiting time can reach up to two hours during peak hours. Riders would also have to navigate traffic during such time periods, further delaying the time taken for people to receive their food orders. Hence, companies are looking towards quickening delivery times via drones.

Online food delivery app Foodpanda started testing delivering meals a few months ago, and is hoping for a full-fledged conversion in the coming years if trials go well. Drones' can cost anywhere between $700 to $250,000. However, advancements in 3D printing can significantly increase speed of production process as well as reducing the cost of production. Switching to drone food delivery would remove the need for people and transport. Although it would reduce traffic congestion and carbon dioxide emission, this would also cause a rise in unemployment.

Drone delivery also has its setbacks. Singapore's skyline and towering structures could be a potential problem. The narrow high rise buildings mean that it would be challenging for drones to navigate on lower grounds. Since many residential flats have very similar designs and structure, it may be difficult for drones to find the exact block and unit number - drone deliveries tend to favour low rise landed properties since they are easier to identify and navigate to.

Furthermore, there are rules and regulations that may hinder the success of drone delivery services. In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a rule that an operator is required to maintain a visual line of sign of sight of a small Unmanned Aerials System (UAS). The operator would also need to see the UAS with unaided vision (except for glasses). Also, flights are limited to daylight only. This could present a huge concern for food delivering companies since many orders are made during the evening to night time. These regulations can thus hinder the success of drone delivery.

An alternative to increasing traffic congestion on the roads could be to combining ride-sharing and delivery services. Uber hopes to combine UberPool (its ride-sharing service) and UberRush (its delivery service) to remove city congestion and reduce its costs. Combining the cost of sharing a ride and a package can not only curb congestion issues, but it also reduces costs as one less rider is needed. This increases efficiency since the empty boot of an Uber can now fetch a package.

Although the idea can reduce manpower and resources initially needed, the proposed solution can also be counter-productive. In a crowded city like New York, most delivery services for smaller items are done on motorcycles or even bicycles. Using bicycles allows riders to navigate through the congested traffic and use smaller roads to get to the destination quicker. Although having packages in an UberPool ride can save resources and costs, the system may in fact increase the waiting time for customers to receive their package. Thus, the solution may not be feasible for same-day delivery when traffic on the roads is congested during peak hours.

References:
http://digiday.com/brands/uber-combine-ride-sharing-delivery-services/
https://fstoppers.com/aerial/250000-drone-footage-will-probably-be-best-video-youll-see-all-day-66159
http://digiday.com/brands/uber-combine-ride-sharing-delivery-services/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/272889
http://www.dronethusiast.com/drone-delivery-plans-hindered-new-faa-proposed-rules/
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/16/foodpanda-tests-drone-deliveries-in-singapore.html