00:00Drones have long been seen as the future of delivery services.
00:05From parcels to food and even medical supplies.
00:09Less traffic, fewer emissions, delivering even to remote areas.
00:16Sounds perfect, right?
00:19Well, not quite.
00:21The skies above us are crowded with more and more aircraft.
00:24If thousands of drones are added to the mix, how can they all share the same airspace?
00:30Especially in densely populated urban areas.
00:33The idea of sharing the sky is simple.
00:36The lower airspace belongs to drones, while higher altitudes are reserved for airplanes.
00:42Just like roads on the ground, highways for drones will be essential.
00:46Drone corridors are currently being tested and developed around the world.
00:52Britain is working on a pretty big one.
00:55A 265 km route connecting several towns and cities.
01:02Drones can enter the corridor at any point.
01:08A monitoring system will detect potential collisions and redirect the unmanned aircraft.
01:14It's still a work in progress, but once completed, it promises to be a significant step forward in drone delivery.
01:22The system is set to be available for commercial use by early 2025.
01:28I think that's one of the best ways we could organize a lot of drones flying in one airspace at the same time.
01:34Because we do the same thing with manned aviation.
01:36And most manned aircraft, they don't fly wherever they want.
01:39They follow corridors in the sky.
01:41The drone corridors are just one piece of the infrastructure puzzle.
01:46A major challenge would be integrating drones with the manned airspace system.
01:52Because that's where the main safety aspect comes into place.
01:56Heavier drones require a remote ID.
01:59Basically a license plate for drones.
02:03They can be tracked and assigned to an owner.
02:06Crucial in the case of accidents, for example.
02:09The drones are also controlled by a detect and avoid system to prevent collisions.
02:15After a hopefully safe journey, they need somewhere to touch down.
02:19At the moment, drones are still not allowed anywhere near airports.
02:23But in the future, landing areas could be added to them.
02:27There would also be arrival pads in city centers.
02:31But even if you live in the city, you probably won't get your delivery at your doorstep.
02:36You still need to go somewhere to pick it up.
02:40If the landing spot is close by, you might be notified by this telltale sound.
02:52Most people, when they think of a drone, they think of a small DJI quadcopter that doesn't make a lot of noise.
02:58But if you're doing something for drone package delivery, it needs to be a much larger UAV.
03:04They sound like almost lawnmowers running next to your heads.
03:07When Amazon tested drone delivery in College Station, Texas, residents complained about the noise,
03:13prompting the mayor to write a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration.
03:18Amazon insists that the new drones are quieter.
03:21Let's assume everything works out.
03:24Drones aren't too loud, flying happily in their drone corridors,
03:28monitored by safe systems and kept away from airplanes.
03:32That solves lots of issues, except for one major legal one.
03:37In countries such as the U.S. and India, the airspace above homes belongs to landowners.
03:43We are still in a phase where there is a decision making to be done
03:49as to what might be the threshold at which or above which the drones can freely operate.
03:56In the U.S., the idea of a marketplace has been introduced to offer landowners a monetary incentive.
04:03They can rent or sell their airspace to be used by drones.
04:08Besides the challenges of integration,
04:10the global market for drone services is forecast to grow significantly in the years to come.
04:16One country that wants to be part of that is India.
04:19With liberalized regulations and incentive schemes,
04:23the country wants to become a drone hub by 2030.
04:28We can say approximately around 2030 we might have a basic infrastructure
04:33where we see an integration of drones with manned airspace in a limited manner.
04:40So when will your pizza be delivered by a drone?
04:43Not for a while yet.
04:46Although the technology is advanced,
04:49various uncertainties remain regarding regulations, safety, and disruptions to everyday life.
04:55And honestly, we'd better take it slow
04:58because drones dropping out of the sky could cause serious injuries or material damage.
05:04Drones could revolutionize delivery services,
05:07though whether they will actually deliver to your doorstep isn't clear yet,
05:11and who knows whether it's really safe to have countless drones buzzing around in the air.
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