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More drones could mean safer roads, cleaner air

Traffic and accidents may decrease as parcel deliveries shift from the road to the skies.

Drone controller

The drone delivery movement may have gotten off to a slow start, but the news that Walmart and Amazon are set to launch aerial deliveries later this year has revived interest in the concept.

But what would a future with drone delivery look like? Dronedek, an Indianapolis-based startup that offers “smart mailboxes” for both traditional and drone deliveries, recently circulated its predictions on how widespread drone deliveries could change the cities where they operate. 


So what will that future look like? For one thing, there will be fewer delivery vehicles on the roads, which means less traffic and fewer accidents, according to the company. Plus, fewer people will need to drive their cars to stores or restaurants, further reducing traffic congestion.

Then there are the environmental benefits. The decrease in traffic could lead to cleaner air, thanks to the resulting reduction in vehicle emissions, Dronedek also said. 

Finally, the speed and security of parcel delivery will improve, according to Dronedek, which said its lockers will deter theft and wrong-address deliveries, while enabling 30-minute delivery times for many items. 

“This is an exciting time for both businesses and consumers,” Dan O’Toole, the founder and CEO of Dronedek, said in a release. “We are on the brink of a revolutionary change that will fundamentally transform how things are delivered.”

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TMH’s AutoStore system deploys 28 energy-efficient robotic shuttles to retrieve and deliver totes from within a vertical storage grid. To expedite processing, artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced software determines optimal storage locations based on whether parts are high- or low-demand items. The shuttles, each independently controlled and selected based on shortest distance to the stored tote, swiftly deliver the ordered parts to four picking ports. Each port can process up to 175 totes per hour; the company’s initial goal is 150 totes per hour, with room to grow. The AS/RS also eliminates the need for order pickers to walk up to 10 miles per day, saving time, boosting picking accuracy, and improving ergonomics for associates.

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“The latest data continues to show some positive developments for the freight market. However, there remain sequential declines nationwide, and in most regions,” Bobby Holland, U.S. Bank director of freight business analytics, said in a release. “Over the last two quarters, volume and spend contractions have lessened, but we’re waiting for clear evidence that the market has reached the bottom.”

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