Drone delivery enters the commercial era? It may take another 10 years for it to be fully popularized

The invention of the car has led to a major change in the land transportation system, and the rapid popularization of drones is also expected to promote new development in low-altitude airspace. In recent years, the civilian drone manufacturing industry has developed rapidly, core technologies have continued to improve, and product types have become increasingly rich. Data shows that the commercial drone industry is growing rapidly, and the market predicts that by 2020, the commercial drone market will exceed $126 billion. According to statistics, there are about 110,000 commercial drones in the United States, and it is expected to increase to 450,000 in 2022.

At present, drones have been increasingly used in agricultural plant protection, emergency rescue, emergency communications, traffic inspections, ocean monitoring, geographic surveying and mapping, and logistics scenarios are becoming a new commercial hotspot for drones.

Wing, a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet's X research and development laboratory, has recently received approval from the Australian Aviation Authority to provide drone delivery services to home users in the Canberra area of ​​the country's capital. In fact, Wing has been conducting drone testing in Australia for more than four years, and the service was previously limited to residents in three suburbs of Canberra.

Wing introduced in a blog that its commercial drone service, which has been approved, allows users to purchase various goods through the APP. After placing an order, the drone will carry the goods and complete the delivery within a limited time. It is reported that in the past year and a half, the company has successfully delivered more than 3,000 goods to Australian consumers. In addition, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority stated in a statement that "Wing's drone delivery operations have reached an acceptable level of safety."

Of course, as drone delivery is developing rapidly, Wing is not the only one in this field. Many Internet giants and logistics, e-commerce and express delivery companies have also joined the market, such as Amazon, Intel, China's SF Express, JD.com, Alibaba and other companies. Among them, Amazon is undoubtedly a strong competitor.

Amazon has been involved in drone delivery for a long time and has been committed to the research and development and innovation of drone technology. It has frequently conducted relevant tests and launched specific drone products. Currently, Amazon's Prime Air has grown into a leader in drone delivery. In addition, many companies such as Intel, Uber, SF Express, and JD.com are also actively testing logistics drones and accelerating the commercialization process.

In March 2018, Jiangxi Fengyu Shuntu Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SF Holding, issued an announcement, announcing that it had obtained a drone aviation operation (pilot) license issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China East China. The issuance of this operating license not only gives SF Express an advantage in the development of drones, but also means that the Chinese government supports and affirms the development of drone delivery.

Under the influence of multiple favorable factors such as national policies and market environment, JD.com, Alibaba's Cainiao, Suning, ZTO and other companies have successively entered the drone field. In the 2018 tea picking season, Cainiao drone formations traveled back and forth between Hangzhou Shifeng Mountain and the West Lake Tea Roasting Center to transport the newly picked Shifeng Longjing tea leaves down the mountain; in November 2018, JD.com's self-developed native feeder unmanned cargo aircraft officially completed its first flight in Shaanxi; in addition, Suning plans to build 5,000 drone smart logistics hubs across the country, covering drone navigation, R&D, production and after-sales ground service networks, and centrally managing drone industry resources.

Despite the good situation, the challenges faced by drone delivery cannot be ignored. Currently, the main problem with drone delivery is the battery life. If drones need to be charged at short intervals, a large number of drones will have to be deployed, which will take time and effort to operate, and the cost will be quite high.

In addition to the lack of battery life, drone delivery is also hampered by outdated laws and regulations. Currently, many countries still have incomplete legislation on drones, and the management system needs to be established as soon as possible. In the absence of regulations and standards, it is obviously unrealistic for drone delivery to achieve large-scale commercial use. Industry experts said that it will take another five or even ten years to improve the relevant laws on drone delivery.