The objective behind using drones for delivering couriers is to have the packages into customers hands in less

than 30 minutes. This might sound a very futuristic idea, but advances in this field have already been made and the same have been tested on a limited scale in countries like US and China. There is a high level of optimism regarding the usage of delivery of drones for various purposes some of which are as below: Use: In the case of a natural disaster like the Tsunami or an earthquake, delivery drones can provide with the first response by delivery supplies to needy people much before the human assistance can arrive. Instead of sending a Big helicopter, sending 100 of these delivery drones can turn out to be a viable option. A company called Matternet has already carried out the field-testing in Haiti in the year 2102, to cater to the needs of the people house in the relief camps post earthquake. Faster delivery of supplies, samples for testing, clinical information and diagnostic tools between medical centers. Advanced clinical laboratory facilities may are usually not present in rural sector of most developing and under developed countries and people living in the rural areas have no option but to travel physically to the urban centers or have their blood samples collected by local medical centers and have them sent to the Laboratories in the city. Using the delivery drones, the blood samples can be sent much faster for analysis. Mobility in urban areas is a fast growing concern across the world, because of the traffic congestion. Delivery drones can be very effective in case of time critical deliveries. Courier companies, pizza joints are looking to leverage on this technology that can potentially lead to change in the industry landscape. The governments across the world are also exploring the possibility of using delivery drones to improve the government services. The UAE government is all set to start using drones for delivering documents and packages to its citizens.

Feasibility: According to technology experts, the technical solution for delivery drones is feasible but may have certain limitations as well. Currently, a drone could use sensors to avoid moving objects but may not be able to dodge a transparent object. Also, the radar cannot recognize a power line. A possible solution to these problems is to equip the drones with multiple laser or infrared-based sensors, but this also would make the drones heavier, costly and less efficient. The sense and avoid technology is still in a very nascent stage. With the ongoing research in

this space across various universities, significant advancements are expected but may take a time before a foolproof technology is developed that can help drones sustain various challenges, like climatic, performance and cost effectiveness, etc. Pinpoint Landing could prove to be another issue, as the drones would use GPS, which is accurate only within a few feet and not many drones that are available today can achieve this precision consistently. Significance in Supply Chain: Companies are increasingly trying to achieve a fully automated supply chain model. The delivery drones can help these companies achieve the desired level of supply chain automation and flexibility that encompasses everything from the production of goods to the doorstep delivery. Also, the automation will ensure that the supply chain is operation 24/7, 365 days a year, as humans who are prone to fatigue and boredom will have negligible or zero involvement. With ERP packages already providing a fair level of automation, the introduction of delivery drones in the existing supply chain could just prove to be the solution to the missing link for 100% automation. The introduction of drones in the current supply chain has its flip side as well. Among the issues, the most notable is the level of security that these drones can provide while making deliveries. Also, there could be limitations in terms of the distance coverage and weights that these drones can carry.

Costs Cost of Each drone: roughly about $3000 each. Expected delivery cost for each consignment: $100 to $ 200 for a five-pound consignment. Inducting drones in the supply chain process is a capital intensive but can prove to be cost effective only if the technology is robust enough to tackle all the issues and provide near 100% supply chain automation.

http://blog.ted.com/2013/11/21/6-ways-drones-can-be-used-for-good/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/uae-plans-to-use-drones-to-deliver-officialdocuments/

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/522121/separating-hype-fromreality-on-amazons-drones/ http://guardianlv.com/2014/02/drones-to-become-more-commonplace-asmanufacturing-costs-drop/ http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/02/technology/drones-reality-check/ http://www.supplychaindigital.com/global_logistics/amazons-unmanneddrones-biggest-development-for-years