Drone delivery pilot projects have been underway for years in US cities and abroad. Now, engineers are making steady progress toward wider rollouts.
There are already nearly 400,000 drones licensed for deliveries of food and medicines and related products by the US Federal Aviation Administration, an indication of the potential.
Obstacles to growth are not the reliability of the drone technology or the desire for quick deliveries on the part of some customers. Residents in some test communities have voiced concerns about privacy with the potential for drone cameras to see their movements. Others get annoyed that the drones, while quiet, can sound like buzzing bees.
In March, Wendy’s began delivering fast food over a 6-mile radius from a Wendy’s location in Christiansburg, Va., in a partnership with DoorDash using drones from Wing. In an update on Wednesday, Wendy’s said it has seen benefits from the drone technology pilot learnings there, shaving off minutes from Wendy’s order times.
In an email to Fierce Electronics, Wendy’s said it has recorded average total fulfillment times under 18 minutes from the time the customer pressed “order” online from the DoorDash app. The average flight time for the Wing drones to homes and other locales is under three minutes, a spokesperson said.
“Wendy’s views drone delivery as one more way the brand can meet the growing demand of digital channels,” the spokesperson said. “Pairing drone delivery with traditional drivers and pickup options ensures Wendy’s is meeting digital-first customers where and how they want to enjoy their favorite orders.”
On NBC Today, Wendy’s CIO Matt Spessard added, “Drone delivery is kind of a natural extension of the delivery platform. How do we get that product to customers faster than we have before?”
Over at Wing, a spokesperson said the company is looking at areas to expand with DoorDash and Wendy’s and will be making announcements soon.
Wing’s drones, which fly at up to 65mph, are also gathering mass. In October, Nate Milner, head of operations for the company, said it had reached a one year anniversary of scaling up drone delivery across the Dallas-Fort Worth areas and was “expanding drone delivery faster than ever.” One of the newest locations is a Walmart in nearby Denton, Texas, which serves Denton and Corinth with drones taking off from the supercenter seven days a week, serving thousands of eligible households.
The Denton site was the 11th Walmart store where Wing operates, serving 26 different cities and towns with deliveries to customers in 6 out of the 11 counties in the metro area. The average flight time has reached 3 minutes, 24 seconds. The number of Walmart locations in DFW has recently reached 14.
Wing is planning an even faster pace of expansion through 2024 and into 2025, the spokesperson said.
In November, Wing also announced drone deliveries of National Health Service blood samples in London between two hospitals. The aim of the work is to improve patient care with faster transportation of samples and subsequent analysis of the blood samples. Up to 10 on-demand transfers happen each day, Monday through Friday.
Drone delivery trials or full rollouts are happening in other cities, including Amazon in Phoenix, Arizona.
A subject expert at FarEye, Komal Puri, has observed that investment by industry leaders is enabling increased use of drones in logistics, even as their initial setup costs can be high for infrastructure, drones and meeting regulatory requirements. As e-commerce continues to grow, demand for faster, more efficient and sustainable delivery options is also growing,” she wrote in a note in September. “Drones can avoid traffic, navigate tight spaces and deliver packages with utmost accuracy, making them the future of last mile delivery.”
FarEye also recognizes the privacy challenges mentioned in many communities where drones are already used. “Public acceptance is key for drone delivery to succeed,” she said. “Concerns about privacy, safety and noise pollution can lead to resistance. Surveys indicate that many people are uncomfortable with drone deliveries. This reflects the need for businesses to address these concerns effectively.”
Even with such concerns, FarEye foresees robust growth for drone delivery. FarEye projects the drone package delivery market globally will grow from $2.1 billion in 2023 to $3.04 billion in 2024, then reach more than $13 billion in 2028.