The New Generation of Drones: Cargo Carrying Machines That Could Revolutionize Logistics

When we think of drones, we often imagine small, personal devices buzzing around us. However, a new generation of drones is being built to fly longer distances, reach jet liner elevations, and carry huge payloads. These cargo carrying drones could be coming to an air space near you, with the potential to upend the logistics industry.

Cargo drones have the potential to make deliveries that are safe, efficient, and environmentally sustainable. However, they can also be a regulatory nightmare. Giant companies like Google, Amazon, and UPS are pushing ahead with their plans to fill the skies with cargo carrying drones, driven by the prospect of massive profits. Morgan Stanley estimates that autonomous urban aircraft could eventually become a $1.5 trillion dollar industry by 2040, including everything from vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to flying cars, military UAVs, and yes, delivery drones.

There are already many delivery drones being tested today, but what if you want to receive something that's heavier than an Uber Eats order? Before they can rake in all that cash, drone operators need to prove that these devices can deliver a social good. That's why so many pilot programs are focused on delivering medicine. Matternet is working with UPS to deliver blood samples to hospitals in North Carolina. Zipline is flying in medical supplies to remote locations in Rwanda. Swoop Aero is dispensing vaccines and other medication to tiny islands in the Pacific.

All these drones exist today, but what about the ones that are still under development, the heavy lifters? Let's call them cargo drones, drones that are built to fly higher and further than anything available today, carrying really heavy loads. Sabrewing is working on a prototype that can achieve speeds of up to 180 knots and a cruising altitude as high as 22,000 feet. It's called Rhaegal, which is one of the dragons from Game of Thrones.

Another company, Nautilus, is working on a 30 foot prototype that's about the size and weight of a military predator drone. It'll be capable of transporting 700 pounds of cargo over a distance of 2500 nautical miles. The company is also working on a larger scale two ton freighter, about the size of a Boeing 777. Both companies are using measurements associated with boats because they are being designed to take off and land in the water, which probably won't get regulatory approval to fly over populated areas.

Boeing, the aerospace giant, is also working on its own heavy duty drone capable of carrying payloads of 500 pounds. But what kind of work goes into building a cargo drone? To find out, we visited the offices of Elroy Air in San Francisco to see their autonomous volt drones for ourselves. Elroy's CEO, Dave Merrill, talked about the challenge of building an aircraft capable of carrying this kind of weight.

"At this scale, there's a lot more modeling that goes in, a lot more aerodynamics that goes in," Merrill said. "You need more capital, you need specialized expertise, for testing each building block." So it's really a different kind of effort than building a smaller drone system. And while some companies are retrofitting their drones for autonomous flight, Elroy is building its aircraft to be self-flying from day one.

"They're being built to attach and drop cargo as well as take off and land without any human interaction," Merrill said. "So the aircraft is able to land, taxi to a cargo pod, pick it up, and then take off again, without needing anyone to come out and load or unload the system." This means that the aircraft can just stay always in motion, always being utilized. And they are designed for a much longer range. Most delivery drones people are thinking about the last mile, we think about the last 100 miles.

Elroy envisions its system being used to deliver packages over medium distances, in rural areas, or between distribution centers. The benefit of vertical takeoff and landing is that you have a lot more flexibility in where the system can operate from. It can take off and land from an airport, or a helipad, but also it can'take off from a parking lot, or the rooftop of a parking garage, or even a field.

The company hopes to have a fleet of autonomous drones in the air, making deliveries by 2020. "I don't think it's as far away as we think," Merrill said, "but I do think that companies are betting that some portion of automated flight will be moving stuff around that's not just small packages."

This idea of using drones to move goods between giant warehouses is both exciting and concerning. On the one hand, it could revolutionize logistics and make transportation faster and more efficient. On the other hand, there are valid concerns about energy consumption. A 2018 study in the journal found that cargo drones would require a significant amount of power to operate, which could have negative environmental impacts.

The study also highlighted the need for better regulation and standards for cargo drone operations. As the use of these drones becomes more widespread, it's likely that we'll see more research into their environmental impact and potential regulations to mitigate any negative effects. For now, though, it's clear that cargo drones are going to play an increasingly important role in the logistics industry.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- When you think of a drone,you probably think of this.(motor buzzing)There's a new generation of dronesthat are being built tofly longer distances,at jet liner elevations,while carrying huge payloads.And these cargo carrying dronescould be coming to an air space near you.(gentle music)Cargo drones could potentiallyupend the logistics industry,making deliveries thatare safe, and efficient,and environmentally sustainable,but they can also be aregulatory nightmare.There's a reason that giantcompanies like Google,and Amazon, and UPS arepushing ahead with their plansto fill the skies with cargocarrying drones, money.Morgan Stanley estimates thatautonomous urban aircraftcould eventually become a1.5 trillion dollar industry,by 2040, and that includes everythingfrom vertical takeoffand landing the aircraft,flying cars, military UAVs,and yes, delivery drones.Now there are a wholebunch of delivery dronesthat are being tested today.But what if you wanna receivesomething that's heavierthan an Uber Eats order?Before they can rake in all that cash,drone operators are out to provethat these devices candeliver a social good,and that's why so many pilot programsare focused on delivering medicine.Matternet is working withUPS to deliver blood samplesto hospitals in North Carolina.Zipline is flying in medical suppliesto remote locations in Rwanda.Swoop Aero is dispensingvaccines and other medicationto tiny islands in the Pacific.All those drones exist today,but what about the ones thatare still under development,the heavy lifters.Let's call them cargodrones, drones that are builtto fly higher and furtherthan anything available today,all while carrying really heavy loads.So Sabrewing is working on a prototypethat can achieve speedsof up to 180 knots,and a cruising altitudeas high as 22,000 feet.It's called Rhaegal, which yes,is one of the dragonsfrom Game of Thrones.(dragon roaring)Another is calledNautilus, and it's workingon a 30 foot prototypethat's about the sizeand weight of a military predator drone.It'll be capable oftransporting 700 pounds of cargoa distance of 2500 nautical miles.The company is alsoworking on a larger scaletwo ton freighter aboutthe size of a Boeing 777.(gentle music)Both companies are usingmeasurements associated with boatsbecause they are being designedto take off and land in the water,and that's because they probably won'tget the regulatory approvalto fly over populated areas.Now, speaking of Boeing,the aerospace giantis working on its own heavy duty dronecapable of carryingpayloads of 500 pounds.But what kind of work goesinto building a cargo drone?To find out, we visitedthe offices of Elroy Air,in San Francisco, to seethat company's autonomousvolt drones for ourselves.Elroy's CEO, Dave Merrilltalked about the challengeof building an aircraftcapable of carrying this kind of weight.- At this scale, there's a lotmore modeling that goes in,a lot more aerodynamics that goes in.You need more capital, youneed specialized expertise,for testing each building block.So it's really a different kind of effortthan building a smaller drone system.- And Merrill saidthat while some companiesare retrofitting their dronesfor autonomous flight,Elroy is building its aircraftto be self flying from day one.They're being built toattach and drop cargoas well as take off and landwithout any human interaction.- So the aircraft is able toland, taxi to a cargo pod,pick it up, and then take off again,without needing a personto come out and loador unload the system.And we did that to save time,so that the aircraft canjust stay always in motion,always being utilized.And they also are designedfor a much longer range.Most delivery drones,people are thinking about the last mile,we think about the last 100 miles.- Elroy envisions its system being usedto deliver packages over medium distances,in rural areas, or betweendistribution centers.- The benefit of verticaltakeoff and landingis that you have a lot more flexibilityin where the system can operate from.So, it can take off andland from an airport,or a helipad, but also it cantake off from a parking lot,or the rooftop of a parking garage,or even a field.- The company hopes to havea fleet of autonomous dronesin the air, making deliveries by 2020.- I don't think it's asfar away as we think,but I do think that companies are bettingthat some portion of automated flightare going to be moving stuff aroundthat's not just small packages.- This idea of using drones to move goodsbetween giant warehouses,is super interesting.But also, it raises some valid concernsabout energy consumption.A 2018 study in the journal \"Nature\"found that electric droneswere way more efficientthan trucks, and vans, and cars.- A drone can reducegreenhouse gas emissionsfor package delivery inmost areas of the countryby a decent amount,and in really low carbonelectricity grids,like out west, and in New York state,it can reduce it by half, or more.- And though the study foundthat benefits may be reducedonce the electricity used for rechargingand warehousing was factored in,drones clearly have lessenvironmental impactthan a one item delivery by car.Today, the big problem is regulation.The unresolved issuesinclude whether it is safeto allow drones to flybeyond a pilot's visual line of sight,or to operate at night,or to fly over people.And to answer thesequestions, the FAA createda pilot program to see howa drone delivery systemmight look in real life.Wing and Uber are two ofthe companies participating,but not Amazon, which isinstead testing its droneswith a consortium of Europeancompanies in Belgium.- The tech developmentrace for urban air mobilityis going on right now.The technology, as itadvances, should think throughhow it's going to meetthose certifications,and make it safe for everybody.- So whatever set of guidelines the FAAand the private sector come up with,could have huge implications,not just for cargo drones,but also maybe for the waythat we get around incities in the future.Urban air mobility isincreasingly a hot pursuitamong tech and aerospace companies.As ridiculous as it sounds,the idea of flying carsis gaining serious traction.People are investing hundredsof millions of dollarsin drone companies, today,because they believethat they will be more efficient,and better for the environmentthan the current system.And that's making people really nervous.A Pew Research Center survey in 2017found that 11% ofAmericans support drones,while 34% favor some limits on them.But 54% disapprove of dronesflying near residential areas,and they site privacy andnoise as their top concerns.If developers can address these concerns,and build out a network of delivery dronesthat are quiet, safe and efficient,well, then the sky's the limit.Like I'm just thinking if I can get a bed,a new bed, delivered tomy apartment, via drone,I mean, it might makemy neighbors nervous,but that could be amazing.\n"