When Amazon first tossed the idea of door-to-door delivery using drones in 2013, many people found it laughable. Some actually thought it was a publicity stunt to boost their holiday sales. But while other people were viewing this idea a farfetched pipe dream, a group of some potential investors were taking it very seriously.

Engineers at Boeing and Bell Helicopters invested in designing an aircraft that has proven this idea to be more than just a marketing stunt. The two have already developed working prototypes and the dream is no longer farfetched. Boeing, Bell Helicopters, and various other companies are hopeful that drone delivery will become a commonplace technology in cities across the US and beyond.

Bell has developed an Autonomous Pod Transport (APT), a 4-rotor, 5-foot-tall vehicle that can comfortably deliver a package weighing up to 10 pounds for 50 miles. Bell staff and contractors have been testing the drone and now have plans to build an 8-rotor version which can handle up to 200 pounds to a distance of 300 miles! Engineers behind this innovation are foreseeing an incredible breakthrough in the next few years.

Bell is also advancing its drone’s propulsion units to have a 15-degree range of motion which gives each individual rotor the capability to react independently as aerodynamic conditions change to ensure a stable and safe flight. The company also plans to embrace hybrid drone designs that can use both gas fuel and electric power. Electric aircraft are good at solving aerodynamic issues, but their limited power supply limits the load size and time in the air. The good news is the rotor on the APT can already swap to accommodate electric and gas motors.

Bell might have designed the APT with Amazon in mind, but they intend to first sell to their military customers and later transition to aerial delivery service customers like Amazon. Boeing is also closing in on the delivery drone market fast and soon might be in direct competition with Amazon. Boeing released a video of their prototype electric air cargo vehicle (CAV) taking off and landing. The prototype was designed in just 3 months and can carry up to 500 pounds. As if transporting cargo to your door is not challenging enough, Boeing and Bell plan to create drones that can deliver you from point A to point B as well. They already have a prototype and an informal agreement with Uber to develop flying taxis.

Well, all these sound great and indeed the idea of flying taxis is as fascinating as it is attractive. But we will be waiting to see if the regulations and laws will keep up with these developments by preparing traffic management systems that can accommodate the upcoming influx of unmanned aerial vehicles. The regulator will have to figure out how to seamlessly integrate these unmanned vehicles into the low-altitude flying zone together with helicopters while guaranteeing efficiency and safety.

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