#DroneTechie

If you want pizza delivered by drone, you might have to change your house

Would you build a drone delivery platform on your home?

by
Marc Townley
December 9, 2020

Image: Wing

Some people may see drones as the start of a future dystopian hellscape where “The Man” has eyes on you 24/7 and you can’t even jerk off without being watched. Others see drones as part of a buzzing utopia where there’s ALWAYS somebody around to watch you jerk off.

Whichever side of the fence you lie on, there’s no denying that drones haven’t really found widespread practical use yet. Some companies are looking to change that. A future where pizzas are delivered by flying tech could be on the horizon.

The fight for flight

Image: Amazon

Amazon, Google, and United Parcel Service Inc. have all been looking into the possibility of drone delivery for the last few years, and all three have received approval from the Federal Aviation Authority for limited deliveries. We’re not looking at the possibility of having a hot tub air-lifted into your back yard just yet, but you’ll be able to get the swimming shorts and bikini for it, at least.

At the moment, the biggest issue is that there’s no streamlined way to complete these deliveries. With no specific spots to drop packages, there have been issues with where parcels actually land. Nobody wants to be dodging a package falling through the skies either, so architects and builders may need to rethink the way homes are designed in the future. Imagine having a specific landing pad where you can receive deliveries.

The winds of change

One startup company facing these difficulties is Valqari. The Chicago-based company has been operating since 2017 and is working on a drone-delivery mailbox that can accept most shipments. That Pop Vinyl you’ve had on backorder for months? You can rest easy knowing it’ll be delivered by air. Can’t be bothered cooking? Defy the laws of nature and watch as chicken wings fly to your drone box.

Their fantastic concept sees a drone loaded with a payload before landing on a chimney stack-style destination tower. The recipient is then informed of their delivery and they can pick it up. If the idea takes off, it’s easy to imagine every home with a drone-delivery box. It wouldn’t need to be outside the home like a traditional mailbox either. There’s no reason this unique solution can’t be mounted on a rooftop or the side of your home. For smaller homes or apartment buildings, it’s easy to picture an Amazon Locker-style central hub where everyone has their own unique access.

Designing for drones

Valqari’s solution isn’t the only one being considered. The Paramount Miami Worldcenter has a Skyport on the roof for Jetsons-style sky taxis, and while these might be a world away at this point, there’s no reason they can’t be used for drone delivery in the short term. Developer Dan Kodsi, the chief executive of Royal Palm Cos. sees no reason this can’t be done, as there are already elevators running all the way up to the roof. According to The Wall Street Journal, he even admits that the Skyport has been a selling point for some buyers, so it seems that consumers are also aware of future possibilities.

Everybody’s favorite gun, gummi bear, and Greek salad-selling conglomerate Walmart is also thinking about a drone-filled future. It recently filed a patent application for chute-delivery systems mounted on to apartment buildings. You can take a look at that here, but all I really want to know is whether it can be used as a slide.

All of these ideas are unique approaches to the difficulties currently faced when delivering via drone, so it’s great to see so many different approaches to the problem. As soon as I can fly a pizza to my front door, I’ll be more than happy, but until then, I’m content just watching all the different ideas being thrown about.

What do you think? How do you feel about a future filled with drones? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.