Companies like Amazon have big ideas for drones that can deliver
packages right to your door. But even putting aside the policy issues,
programming drones to fly through cluttered spaces like cities is
difficult. Being able to avoid obstacles while traveling at high speeds
is computationally complex, especially for small drones that are limited
in how much they can carry onboard for real-time processing. However such drones can be used to save lives, where every second is important, such as transporting human organs or blood for transfusion.
Articles:
https://www.csail.mit.edu/news/programming-drones-fly-face-uncertainty
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/robotics/drones/test-run-confirms-that-drones-can-safely-deliver-organs-for-transplant
Please read article and answer questions:
1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteI think that autonomous drones will prove themselves as providers of postal and courier parcels, or wherever time has a serious significance as described in the article on organs delivery. They can work great to explore the area or take pictures of it. They will serve wherever access is difficult or impossible.
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
It depends on the point of view, because autonomous drones can be used to cause harm, damage. There is a possibility of taking over such a machine during the flight, or even a device failure. It can cause material damage and creates a real threat to the health and life of people nearby. However, first of all, you have to do a lot of tests and improvements to make such situations as few or as few as possible.
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
Artificial intelligence algorithms used in cars or other devices are not able to react efficiently to changing situations that suddenly appear. However, it is worth improving the algorithms to maximize their potential in, for example, drones, cars, etc.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
I have heard about the creation of systems used in large warehouses having a problem with storing goods, in which the system manages the stacking of goods so as to save as much space as possible and have quick access to goods with a short shelf life. Of course, more and more is being put on the protection of the environment and more and more electric cars are developing, but the infrastructure does not yet allow the use of such a method of delivery of goods.
Thank you for your response. I am also interested in how this technology will develop and whether it will be used to handle ordinary parcels or only special shipments or delivered under specific conditions.
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteI think that autonomous drones are the future of supplies in the industrial segment. Only what do we mean by autonomous? Completely without human intervention? At present, it can't be done! If the drone is to fly from point A to point B he will fly straight. I haven't tested solutions that avoid collisions for a long time. I think that a few years of scientific and practical work ahead of us.
In my opinion, a little people looked too closely at the drones. It's not the time yet. A short flight time of about 40 minutes (max hour). Low resistance to weather conditions. Big risk.
This at the moment excludes their use in full.
Another application - today everyone wants to use the drone for their tasks and everybody makes a different application for them.
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
Social not. Threats yes. This box weighs say 0.5 kg. It falls from a height of 150 meters. So it bangs in the head ... tens of hundreds of kilograms. This is a threat in my opinion. People love to create toys that try kill them. Yes?
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
I think that they don't cope with obesity. As I wrote. They can fall and do harm. I have broken down many of my flights during the flight for environmental reasons. So using them to provide services is a big risk.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
Yes, there are several projects that are trying to revolutionize the world of shipment delivery. Most, however, rely on autonomous robots. Not autonomous drones.
Thank you for your answer. Indeed, at the moment we are only talking about drones, because in fact, we do not have any convenient solution for supplying goods to end users. After all, I do not know whether the solution with parcel machines will work, and perhaps one day they will be installed in every building.
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me to be an interesting and exciting prospect. It is known that transport generates huge costs, already today buying anything in the online store, in addition to a few small exceptions, most stores do not offer free shipping, must be covered by the buyer. And not once did I find a product at an attractive price, but the cost of shipping exceeded its value.
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
I think people will get used to it, just as there were no airplanes and it was once a shock for people, and today nobody even pays attention to them because it is everyday life. It will be the same in this case, but the security and privacy issues that should be taken into account are important.
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
I think that they can deal with it, of course, everything is a matter of well-written code, many tests and taking all the factors into account by the people who create the algorithm. After all, it depends on the people how well the machine can handle it.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
Perhaps the most famous example is tesla, besides I did not dig deep into this topic.
Thank you for your answer. I also think this is a very interesting subject. As you mentioned, we order more and more things over the Internet and there is no convenient solution with direct delivery to your home. Currently I prefer to order the delivery to a parcel machine much more than to expect a courier.
DeleteI don't see how the solution could be implemented in cities for example. You can deliver a package to someones garden using a drone, but if someone doesn't have a garden it looks like a bit of challenge for the drone. I think that companies like In-post are the future of delivery. The real problem of logistics is not how to distribute packages to individuals, but how to do it in the time when they're available at their address. Courier services have never been designed for individual customers and I guess drones won't help.
ReplyDeleteWhen you mention it, drones can be quite dangerous. As all the flying objects they may fall from time to time. Drones that can lift any more weight that themselves tend to be quite heavy. Heavy falling drones may lead to some fatalities.
Nothing is perfect and breaks from time to time, I'm sure we can't avoid neither in the newest Tesla car nor in future drones. Currently, even systems based on photocells to inform clients which changing room is occupied don't work perfectly (they work really awful in fact), electronic information boards for public communication aren't always accurate, only few companies managed to create bluetooth speakers that can be paired effortlessly every time. We seriously should be getting ready for falling drones.
Thank you for your answer. I was wondering if others share my concerns, drones like any other machine can fail and that will be a threat, especially when there will be a lot of them.
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteI think it's a clever marketing campaign to show how innovative Amazon is. They'll send a drone from time to time to make a noise, but generally the whole idea has too many flaws for today. The limit is the range, lifting capacity (one drone flying with an edible package). If someone doesn't have a fenced yard or lives in a block of flats, where will they leave the package?
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
I think there's a big threat to our privacy. Such dornyas make films in 4K quality. I do not believe that such drones will be used only to deliver products. I am convinced that there will be also all possible information about us.
As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
I think patching is easier than driving because there's more room in the air. And it is possible to fly directly from the starting point to the destination. You don't have to take into account specific routes, people, etc.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
In Białystok, tests of delivery of this most valuable drug by means of medical drones are starting. The machines are specially prepared for blood transport. For the time being, there will be tests, which are being climbed by the Ministry of Health and the Civil Aviation Office. This form of transcription could significantly accelerate the way blood is delivered to medical facilities. If the tests are positive, the drones will replace the ambulances currently in operation.
Thank you for your answer. In arranging these questions, I did not even think about the privacy risk posed by the recordings from these drones, and indeed it could be a problem. I did not know that such attempts are already being made in Poland, it is good to know that we are also up to date with this technology.
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteI think it will be an alternatively way to deliver things to customers. Small drones can quickly deliver packages in hard to reach places. I think packages will be faster delivered because drones can eg avoid traffic jam on the street.
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
Its difficult to say. The problem could be appered when someone take control of a drone. That is possible because people developed software and we know that such software could have hidden vulnerabilities that the developer don’t know. On the other hand the developed algorithms that avoid obstacles are very good and I think in the nearest future they will be much better.
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
I think it depends of the used algorithms and the drone equipment. I think it will work similar that in autonomous cars.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
No, but I searched the Internet and found some interesting article about robots that are used in China to deliver packages to customers.
https://tech.wp.pl/male-zolte-roboty-w-chinach-tak-sie-dostarcza-przesylki-6275428156036737a
Thank you for your answer and an interesting article. Perhaps the use of robots will be an alternative to a drone solution, we'll see.
Delete1. Certainly, drones would be well suited to the aforementioned transport of organs or blood. It can also send small items or letters. Unfortunately, I can not imagine a drone that would provide me with a washing machine or cement for renovation. As someone noticed well before. A lot of people live in blocks and I can not imagine how a drone would deliver such a package to such a person. Drones are an interesting option, but I think that they will not break through ordinary forms of transport.
ReplyDelete2. Autonomous cars are already doing well on the roads, so there is some light in the tunnel for autonomous devices. However, in the case of drones, the third dimension is added. In addition, the airway can be unpredictable, birds, flying garbage in the event of high winds, rain, can cause the drone to roll off the course or worse, fall on someone's head or car and cause a lot of damage.
3. In order for the algorithm to cope well, you must first learn it properly. In the case of training data for a drone it would be much harder to obtain than for a car. As I mentioned, there is a third dimension. Many unforeseen things can fly in the air: garbage, birds, paragliders, other drones. Artificial intelligence algorithms can predict a lot of surprising situations, in the case of drones you just need more effort to make such an algorithm in a large percentage safe for everyone.
4. I have heard rumors about delivering goods through autonomous cars, but unfortunately I do not know anything more about this topic.
Thank you for your answer. I also think that, given the three dimensions, it may be more difficult to deal with all the variables and, in particular, with weather conditions. Perhaps there will not be as many obstacles as on the street but the car can just stop, in case of a drone failure is not so easy.
DeleteGreetings! Autonomous delivery systems are a very interesting subject!
ReplyDelete1. I am a big fan of autonomous, synchronized transportation not only in the context of drones but also in the field of road traffic. I think that supply via drones is a future that will find us very soon because they are fast, cheap and they could navigate above the ways that are loaded by traffic.
2. I think yes, even in the field of robotisation. Please take a look at https://willrobotstakemyjob.com/43-5021-couriers-and-messengers - on a question "Will "Couriers and Messengers" be replaced by AI & Robots?" they said that it's highly likely this occupation will be replaced by robots/AI. So yes, that would occur social impact.
3. I believe that those challenges would be slightly different than in autonomous cars. It is because they would mainly operate in their own aerial environment. However, the delivery process (when they meet a real person or animal) would require from them very sophisticated software that would sometimes fail (just like humans do).
4. Very strong pressure is taken under same-day door-to-door delivery. But it does not only depend on the technology; this task could be resolved also by better logistics algorithms and more organized fleet management.
Thank you for your answer. I wasn't so optimistic about this solution, but if it's expected that such drones can replace in human work then maybe there's something about it :)
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteI think that it would be really great if autonomous drones took over postal and courier parcels distribution. The problem of irresponsible and rude couriers would be finally solved.:) .
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
It depends on aims of autonomous drones usage. Everything is fine, as long as they are not used to cause harm, damage and destruction. In irresponsible hands drones can create threat to people's health and life. Also the fact that they can be taken over so easily is really disturbing, but I guess everything can be solved and improved somehow.
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
I think that nowadays it's not possible yet to create alogorithms that can really deal with ALL variables. We're not there yet, but hopefully, it's a matter of time and money. :)
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
Thank you for your answer. The noise from such drones is another problem I hadn't thought about before. If this were to become a reality, it would be a major problem.
Delete1. For sure autonomic drones are future of some supply. The idea of delivering organs for transplantation seems very good. That would be point-to-point delivery that requires speed. I'm surprised the used multi rotor type, I'd expect fixed wing construction, with VTOL probably.
ReplyDelete2. On physical level - no threats, there will be designated corridors probably just like for commercial flights. So the interaction between us and drones will be minimal. But will drones take some of our jobs? I don't know...
3. I think case of drones is much simpler than cars: autonomous cars are travelling in the same space as we, and this space happens to be very diverse. Drones can move in its own zones, where is just the air and other drones. I think the obstacles avoidance for drones is overblown, because it is such fascinating research and engineering problem.
4. I've heard the infamous hyperloop might be re-purposed for goods delivery. But I'm sure container ships, trucks with human drivers, will stay for long.
Thank you for your answer. That is an interesting observation. Perhaps there is some higher logic behind it, that it was decided to test this solution on multi rotor type drones.
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteI think that drones are excellent way to transport some small objects and the ones that may notbedestroyed easyly. They can be also a good choice to send something into hardluy reachable places. For example if people on mountain expeditions are hurtand cannot go down on their legs, such drone can bring them food and some first aid kit before the rescuers reach them. However I think that delivering organs through this way wont be aalwayspossible as we cannot predict exactlytheweather and what may happen on the way of such drone. What if it broke down on its way?
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
I think that in terms of delivery there may be some threats. It may be used to deliver weapons to terrorist in any places in a world. Alsoit may be used to transport drugs and other illegal things.
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
I don't think so. There are so many unpredictable events that even human cant cope with them. Protecting from most of them can be implemented.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
No I havent heard about any such project.
Thank you for your answer. Surely the use of drones can work in hard-to-reach places. Perhaps we should think more about it in the development of this technology.
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that autonomic drones are the future of supply. As it was mentioned, there is a big problem with range of such drones and weight limits. There is also some problem with lack of garden or backyard, wich can make it impossible to deliver the package, but in my opinion it can be solved by some sort of place (in the form of big closet) to deliver the package – like Polish Paczkomat. This solution was easily implemented in the field of traditional delivery and they are good for small as well as bigger packages. They can be improved by using drones to deliver packages. The other main problem I can see with using autonomic drones are high vulnerability to theft. It can’t be too hard to take over control of such drones, mutually by physically remove them from their way and by hacking into system controling them.
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
I don’t think it is some great threat for the society. Of course it can cause some unpredictable situations by collisions with other objects, but I can’t see it as a big danger.
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
It is never possible to predict all kinds of situation wich may happen, as it is not possible in the case of autonomous cars. As I wrote above, there is also a problem with potental theft, which can’t be predicted and dealt with earlier.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
In case of changing the way goods are delivered and transported, I heard about some idea of Tesla, which consists of autonomous taxis. Tesla wants to provide its cars in the form of leasing, in exchange for percentage of profits coming from transporting goods.
Thank you for your answer. In today's discussion, there are very many arguments against the use of this technology in the supply of goods. The possibility of theft is another of them, as is susceptibility to cyber attacks. I now wonder what will happen to the future of this technology and whether it will be used perhaps only in a narrow area.
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it would not be a breakthrough but it will be used as a form of delivery in the future. Pigeons have been active on the supply market for so many years ;) I suppose that drones may work better in a difficult environment – I mean in the mountains, forests or water areas with heavy packages.
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
I think that it would not be a social issue but it will pose a threat to us. Why? Because suddenly new flying objects will appear in our environment which can always break down. Then drones threaten our health and life - just like today's planes. Who knows if suddenly the system of such a drone will not hang on and fall from a great height with a heavy package on someone's head?
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
I really don’t know. Analysing the hitherto achievements, mentioned in one of the presented articles, it should not be so difficult - it will only be an extension of the results achieved so far. I would not expect prediction here - only new reactions in specific situations.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
Maybe hyperloop is a good way to deliver goods? I still believe in teleportation - both objects and people. Basically it's only a matter of time...
Thank you for your answer. Teleportation would certainly solve many problems, then I keep my fingers crossed and wait :)
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteDrone Use Is Growing, But It Won't Fully Replace Traditional Delivery Methods. The use of drones is actively growing in all kinds of industries in addition to e-commerce. Despite this, I don’t see it completely replacing other delivery systems. Issues such as safety, weather and privacy concerns will continue to be a challenge, and there will remain a need for traditional delivery options
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
Adding thousands of new flying machines into an existing national airspace, and you need a way to make sure everything doesn’t go to hell up there. Due to their small size, drones are a lot harder to detect, and considering that they fly in a space reserved for helicopters, recreational airplanes, and crop dusters, you’re bound to have some collision issues without the right management systems in place.
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
Even with an appropriate set of guiding principles, there are going to be a lot of perceptual challenges that are way beyond those that current developers have solved with deep learning networks, and perhaps a lot more automated reasoning than any AI systems have so far been expected to demonstrate. I suspect that to get this right we will end up wanting our cars to be as intelligent as a human, in order to handle all the edge cases appropriately.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
One form of automation has already been implemented in the shipping industry with the use of automated cranes for transferring shipping containers from ship to shore. The future of shipping is heading beyond container handling to using automated vehicles and ships for transporting goods. Apple and Google both have autonomous vehicles in development, and this technology has big implications for the shipping industry.
Thank you for your answer. Perhaps that is what the future will look like. First we will automate the transfer of containers from ships to the docks, then we will be able to take them to the warehouses by autonomous lorries, and then we will have other autonomous vehicles delivered to our homes, we will see what kind of vehicles we have in the end.
Delete1. Do you think that autonomic drones are the future of supply? Where will they work better than other forms of delivery?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the autonomic drones will be widely applied in the future. It is very interesting topic for me because I guess that the technology of the autonomic drones is based on artificial intelligence which interests me. I think that the autonomic drones will be used in supplying the parcels. As the authors mentioned they will be applied in organ delivery as well. I suppose that the autonomic drones might be applied also in taking photos and do research. I am curios if the autonomic drones will manage supplying the big size product for example: fridge and how they manage in the cities where there are a lot of obstacles.
2. Will such solutions be of social concern and pose a threat to us?
I think, it is difficult to predict if the drones will pose a threat to the community. Nowadays, the world is developing very fast and I guess that something new appears every day. There are lots of potential obstacles such as: rubbish, birds, buildings. I hope that the programmers of the autonomic drones will manage with mentioned problems. Additionally the weather might be a problem for the autonomic drones. The autonomic vehicles are getting better and better so I think the same situation will be with the autonomic drones.
3. As in the case of autonomous cars, there are many variables here. Do you think Artificial Intelligence algorithms can cope with all variables such as weather conditions, obstacles or other unpredictable events?
As I wrote in the previous question, I think that the weather, obstacles and the unpredictable events might be a threat for the autonomic drones but over time, they will become better and better. The same situation was with the autonomic cars. In the artificial intelligence algorithms of autonomic drones and cars are a lot of very important variables and it is hard to take into account all of them and to perform good classification, but it is the nature of machine learning: it becomes better with the time and tests, so the longer engineers try, the better result will be.
4. Have you heard of other projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future?
I have not heard about other projects related to delivery or transportation products but I think that the autonomous cars will be able to do this in the future.
Thank you for your answer. Using such drones to undertake autonomous data collection sounds very interesting. I wonder if such attempts have already been made somewhere.
DeleteHi Przemek,
ReplyDeletemany thanks for interesting article.
In this respect, I have actually very positive feelings and optimistic attitude to such solutions. In my opinion engaging drones or something similar to delivery processes is absolutely a very good idea, they can be very reliable tool, more trustworthy than system used so far.
For sure, it will be a social concern, like every change. People are conquering the new solutions, because it is more comfortable to exist in well-known world, using well-known solutions. But you cannot achieve development without the change, this is a basic requirement to go further as civilization.
But it won’t pose too big threat to us, I guess. The solutions must be verified and well prepared, controlled strictly in the beginning, that’s it.
As for unpredictable events, in my opinion artificial intelligence algorithms can cope with such variables as weather conditions, obstacles or others, after all there is generally several issues to take care. Of course, always something extraordinary can happen, but in such case it influences everything, and it doesn’t matter if we take into consideration conservative or innovative methods – both won’t work well.
Actually I haven’t heard of other specific projects that may change the way goods are delivered and transported in the future, but the technology goes further so fast, that I believe autonomous cars or fast trains can change significantly this market very soon. And I hope it will change for better, also other services and processes. I am very curious of new solutions and new technology inventions’ influence on our everyday life.
br, marta