In an announcement made on July 24, Worldpay unveiled a prototype design that could help pave the way for drone delivery around the world. According to the announcement:
“Worldpay’s Drone Pay proof-of-concept uses EMV contactless payment card technology to verify the identity of the recipient, ensuring a parcel is delivered to the right person at the right address. This technology is embedded into a drone landing pad, which is issued to the customer in the form of a doormat. When the drone lands to drop off the package, the card details stored within the doormat are read automatically. If the information matches that of the correct recipient, the parcel is released.”
This proof of concept is certainly interesting as it seeks to address the problem of the accuracy of drone delivery. One question and potential problem that may arise with this proof of concept is, What happens if an individual steals the landing pad? In addition, although the announcement points out that individuals are warming up to the idea of having drones deliver products to their homes, I am not completely confident, given the amount of noise that drones create, that a majority of people will warm up to the idea of constantly hearing drones flying in their neighborhood to deliver packages. Another question is the logistics of drone delivery to apartment buildings and complexes. Despite such concerns, the potential opportunity for drone deliveries is large according Worldpay’s Greg Worch, VP, Head of eCommerce Sales, North America:
“Almost two-in-five consumers have deliveries arrive at their homes once or more a week, so drone delivery has huge potential to reduce congestion and pollution along with enabling faster delivery for customers.”
Pushing my concerns aside, I would have to agree with the 71% of Generation Zers who have a clear fondness for drone technology would likely be interested and having items delivered via drone.