Aircraft, cargo ships and road trains revolutionised how people and goods were transported in the 20th century, but let’s face it, nothing much has changed for a while. And it’s getting a little bit boring! Fear not, though – the demand from online shoppers wanting cheaper, faster same-day deliveries alongside a recent tech boom has caused an explosion of behind-the-scenes innovation in the transport and logistics technology space.
Here, we look at some of the most impressive new delivery technologies that are actually under development and being tested right now. We just need to hang in there for a little while longer before they hit the streets and finally revolutionise our delivery solutions for the 21st century.
A landing pad for SpaceX rockets
Driverless vehicles
According to a McKinsey report, autonomous vehicles will eventually deliver 80% of all items in the next decade. While you’ll probably already know driverless cars have been used by Uber in the US (there’s been plenty of media coverage!), what you might not know is how autonomous vehicle technology might translate to last-mile deliveries.
Introducing Mole Solutions; this UK company is dedicated to developing an underground pipeline which is designed to transport large amounts of freight by capsule. Good news for our busy roads!
Meanwhile, Silicon Valley’s Nuro has recently announced US$92 million funding to develop an above-ground driverless delivery vehicle. Even Domino’s are getting in on the action with a self-driving pizza delivery car.
Going green and off-road
Last mile deliveries are facing several challenges as we head into the future. Many countries around the world have announced ambitions for a greener future, with the UK even promising to ban the sale of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2040. Meanwhile, traffic and congestion on our roads isn’t getting any better.
This is where the DELIVER-E comes in. Developed and already prototyped by the University of Warwick, UK, this agile electric delivery vehicle is compact, quiet and can reach those tight pedestrianised spaces inaccessible by road. But before we get too excited, this one actually requires a driver. So, will it cut it as we head into a driverless future?
Air freight (minus the pilot and gallons of fuel)
So far, drones have been fairly limited in their use – that’s pretty much anything that involves getting up high and using a HD camera to capture the view. But soon they could be big enough, robust enough and reliable enough to start making deliveries. And without the perils of roads and traffic, those same-day delivery options could become so much easier to find.
Unsurprisingly, big name brands like Amazon and UPS have already been testing their prototypes – we’re talking about drones that can travel up to 100mph and carry about 2.3 kg of freight. But perhaps more surprisingly, a company called Project Wing will soon be trialling takeaway food deliveries and chemist supplies from the likes of Guzman y Gomez and Chemist Warehouse in the not-so-well-known suburb of Tuggeranong near Canberra.
The Big Falcon Rocket (BFR)
The brainchild of one of the world’s most ambitious transport innovators, Elon Musk, SpaceX’s BFR is under development as a reusable 42-engine rocket with a payload capacity of around 150 tonnes! While Musk is aiming to land two cargo ships on Mars by 2022 (obviously – who wouldn’t make this a top priority), it’s also hoped that the BFR will be used to speed up transportation on Earth. With anticipated journey times of only 30 minutes between New York and Shanghai – same-day deliveries could take on a whole new meaning.
Fresh food, without the refrigeration??
A little left of centre but we thought we’d throw this one in for good measure. This isn’t so much about fast same-day deliveries but more about taking the timeliness out of deliveries altogether. Amazon is currently developing the technology to prepare food that doesn’t need refrigeration. This could drastically reduce the cost of storing and delivering gourmet foods, bringing stiff competition to takeaway delivery services.