The Advancements of Drone Deliveries

Written By Isaac Lee

Edited By Kapil Ramasubramanian

Currently, deliveries are mostly made by hand, with humans driving to one’s house and dropping off the order on one’s porch. Doesn’t this slow, dull process seem extremely inefficient? Within the last decade, drones have skyrocketed in the technology field and have been implemented in many major fields such as film, content creation, and even agriculture. Let’s observe the major changes in drone deliveries and the drone itself, especially Amazon’s.

Locations of Current Drone Delivery Areas

In College Station, a relatively small town in Texas, Amazon is growing its drone delivery services as it has slowly grown within the last decade since its announcement in 2013. However, currently, the drones do not meet the standard of their announcement and are extremely underwhelming. In fact, it is so overwhelming that Amazon gifts customers.

Similarly, in Lockeford, California, there is an even smaller drone delivery site. When compared to College Station, Lockeford’s drones did not bring nearly as many as College Station. College Station brought many lightweight, small supplies to their customers, such as medications.

Limitations and Benefits of the Current Delivery Drones

The maximum weight a drone can carry is five pounds, and it can now fly in light rain or higher heat conditions. When compared to previous models, this current MK30 model seems to hold up better in all fields. However, one drawback is its startup, as it must jumpstart off a vertical area before transitioning into a horizontal flying mode. Another discrepancy is the landing pad, which must be placed outside one’s home, or the drone simply does not drop any of its orders.

One major benefit of the MK30 model is its distance, which is twice as far as previous models. In terms of sound, it is much quieter and would not be louder than any noise in a standard neighborhood. Its design is more horizontally based, as it has six propellers moving it through the air.

New, improved Quiet propellers

Consumer’s Thoughts

Most customers assume that this drone is either in a learning phase or think of it as a waste of materials as it is not efficient enough yet to surpass the tried and true on-foot deliveries. For instance, one customer who ordered one of the free gifts on Amazon stated that it was wasting materials such as cardboard and paper. In Texas, one consumer ordered medication, but when it arrived, the sheer heat melted the drug.

Some customers do not see drones as a more efficient way of delivering, but rather as a marketing technique. When hearing drones in one’s neighborhood, someone may think, “Amazon has sent that package” or “Amazon’s drone delivery."

The Future of Amazon’s Delivery Drones

Even though these drones may not be extremely competent as of now, technology seems to always evolve slowly but surely. Since Amazon has access to a surplus of materials and ample area to test, drones will become more prominent in the industry of deliveries straight to one’s home.