The demand and interest in drone delivery around the country are increasing. Walmart has announced expanding its drone delivery to 4 million homes in six states. They plan to deliver more than 1 million packages within 30 minutes of the order being placed. There have been other stories making the headlines and supporting the idea that Americans want drone delivery, and they are ready for it right now.
“Consumers want the better and faster delivery that drones and other autonomous devices can provide, so much that they’re willing to pay more for it,” says Dan O'Toole, founder and chief executive officer of Dronedek. “The most interesting finding we gathered from the Propeller Insights/Smarty survey is that we solve all of the concerns consumers raised.”
Virginia Tech reported in 2021 that roughly 90% of the people surveyed had positive feelings about drone delivery. The same percentage reported that they were likely to use drone delivery or already, and half of the respondents felt that they like drones being used for package delivery more than for other purposes.
While consumers like the idea of drone delivery services, they do have some concerns, too. A March 2022 survey conducted online by Propeller Insights, on behalf of Smarty, found that consumers desire better, faster delivery. They found that 48% of respondents would pay more money for drone delivery if doing so allowed them to receive their products within an hour.
Some of the concerns that people have, according to the survey, include:
Items being ruined by drone travel (51%)Drone failure and non-receipt of packages (58%)Drone delivery to the wrong address (58%)Drone failure and consumers not getting a refund (54%) Drone leaving items unattended, making it easier for porch bandits to steal packages (54%)
Dronedek has created the answer to these concerns. The Dronedek patented "mailbox of the future" is designed for secure, reliable, and accurate delivery by drone or other means. They help make sure those deliveries get to the intended addresses by giving delivery services a better identifiable delivery address through their units. Plus, the item is delivered to a secure box that only the intended recipient can access, so there's no opportunity for theft or delivery to the wrong address.
"This survey is another indication that consumers want a better delivery service," O'Toole said. "Consumers on the ground floor for drone delivery test cases are overwhelmingly positive about the accuracy, speed, and effectiveness of the service."
The survey showed consumers want a one-hour drone delivery service for a range of items such as food, prescriptions and medications, batteries, smartphones, clothing, COVID tests, alcohol, their paycheck, and baby and children’s products.
As federal regulators scramble to create regulations to enable ubiquitous drone delivery services, technology continues to improve. Drones can carry heavier packages (the average package delivered in the U.S. today is lighter than five pounds), fly more quietly, and fly longer. Fortune Business Insights estimates the overall drone package delivery space will be worth $51 billion by 2028.
Founded by Dan O'Toole, Dronedek has raised $7.1 million, helping to bring the receptacles to market and launching pilot programs. Dubbed as the "mailbox of the future," the receptacle will help people send and receive packages securely and safely and provides privacy. The company has also recently announced a number of new partnerships across it's MaaS (Mailbox as a Service) ecosystem including drone provider Vayu Aerospace, and network provider Helium.
To see videos of Dronedek in action, visit Dronedek: The Next Generation Mailbox and New Dronedek Smart Receptacle. To learn more about Dronedek, visit the site: https://www.dronedek.com.
