Parcel delivery systems
The parcel delivery system is the system which is used to deliver shipping containers, parcels or high-value mails as a single shipment from one place to another place. This service is done by the postal systems, express mail, private courier companies, small truckload shipping carriers, autonomous robots, drones companies, and etc. There are lots of parcel delivery companies available in the world, which work day and night to deliver packages on time among which DHL, TCS, Amazon are some of the most famous ones.
Fast delivery systems
Fast parcel delivery systems are those courier or postal systems that deliver parcels through fastest and newest ways by using new technologies such as self-driving robots or the drone technology. Self-driving robots pick up parcels from the sender companies and place them at their destination. The same applies to drones; i.e., drones pick up the parcels and fly away to reach the desired place in the shortest possible time.
Different technologies of fast delivery systems
The main factors in today’s parcel shipping systems that differentiates each technology from the others are speed, flexibility, and reliability. By using different technologies, it is possible to achieve these three factors. These technologies are as follows.
Parcel delivery can be done by using parcel carrying drones. A drone can deliver a parcel on-time and with no delay at a given location. Companies just like Amazon, DHL and Google have already started using drones to drop parcels or packages at the desired locations. A drone can carry up to 2kg packages to drop it on a given location.
Parcel delivery drone
There are some challenges for shipping parcels using drones.
- Weather directly affects the drone flight. If the weather becomes stormy or rainy, the drone can’t take a flight and would not be able to deliver its package on time.
- The drones are hackable. Therefore, for a drone carrying some important documents or expensive items, hackers can easily steal its package.
- Dropping a parcel by a drone on the right location is a more difficult task compared to its flight. As a result, there is always the possibility that a drone may drop its package while the owner isn’t present at the target location, and therefore the package may get lost or even create security issues.
- Constraints on the flight time of parcel carrying drones due to the limited power capacity of drone batteries. Such constraints put limitations on the flying distance of such drones.
Nowadays, self-driving robots are being used for parcel dropping purposes. These robots can carry the equivalent of two shopping bags and drive them to their destination within 5’ to 30 minutes. In this way, a fast delivery of a parcel can be achieved.
Totally autonomous robots can deliver a parcel on time and without any delay but they may also face the following challenges
- There is always the possibility of packages carried by robots to get stolen on the way to their destination.
- Similar to drones, robots can also be hacked and therefore carried parcel get stolen.
- Parcel delivery companies are always worried that a carrier robot may be stolen on its way to deliver a package.
- Finally, there is always the possibility that the robot may deliver the parcel to an unknown person.
Underground fast transportation
Underground fast transportation is the latest technological concept for delivery of parcels from one city to another using such underground infrastructures as tunnels and autonomous vehicles. Cargo Sous Terrain (CST) has the plan to start an underground freight transport system in Switzerland which is expected to start its work in 2030. This is the most secure way of delivering parcels but the challenge is that it is also the most expensive one with the most time taking process. However, due to its high security and fast service, it is regarded as the most promising parcel delivery system from one place to another one.