The mass adoption of the internet and the rise of an on-demand economy has increased the need for fast and affordable delivery services. We need things delivered to our doorstep whether it is online shopping, booking tickets, buying food, getting parcels or ordering groceries. Companies are investing heavily in innovation and technology to make the last mile delivery more efficient and cost-effective.

Technological advances have made it possible for drones to be an alternative for traditional delivery services. It can work without human intervention, cut down costs, and deliver products in a matter of hours.

Today we will explore the future of drones and logistics finding out how they can be used for every day delivery.

Drone is a small aircraft which can be flown without the need of a human pilot. Generally, drones have several fans similar to helicopters which enable it to fly. Drones can carry small objects and items such as cameras which can collect visual information. Currently, many companies are working on drones which can carry other objects with increased loads and higher speeds.

Drones are also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and can be controlled through remote control by a pilot on the ground or through autonomous ways. Drones have been used by the military for surveillance and carrying out operations. They also had some civil applications such as firefighting, policing and security work.

The market of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) stood at $609 million in 2014 and predicted to reach $4.8 billion by 2021. A huge number of applications for drones are on the horizon such as geographical and land mapping, monitoring of fuel and power lines, package delivery, agricultural uses and so on.

Drones are being used and experimented by many companies, agencies and individuals. The drone market includes many players consisting of retailers, drone manufacturers and logistics companies. Let’s take a brief look at them-

Here is a look at some of the retailers from whom you can get your next drone.

Amazon is the largest online marketplace in the world with consolidated net revenue of $177.9 billion. The company has been a pioneer in the field of drone experimentation with a claim to deliver packages within 30 minutes. It has made a huge investment in a drone delivery system called Amazon Prime Air and working with FAA for developing regulatory and safety standards.

Amazon has been carrying out experimental flights and has also acquired the U.S Patent and Trademark for their technology. They are also looking to bring personalized services where drones can acquire GPS location of customers through their mobile phones.

Amazon has opened up a drone development center in Cambridge to carry out its trials. It has also partnered with UK’s Civil Aviation Authority and is carrying out similar trials in Israel, France, Austria and the United States.

The company is working on technologies that will enable the drones to navigate obstacles like power lines and signposts. They are also working on different delivery techniques and designs to determine the effective ones, as currently a drone can carry packages only up to 5 pounds.

Another area of research includes beyond the line of sight operations in suburban and rural areas. They are experimenting to find out what happens when a drone cannot see outside of its camera range. There may be a need for new transportation rules for drone flights outside the line of visual sight.

The FAA has made it mandatory for Amazon drones to fly within 122 meters for safety reasons.

Read more insight on this article on Mobisoft Infotech, a Houston based mobile application development company specialise in iOS, Android and HTMl5 app development and more than 240+ applications delivered so far.