Logistics making a difference

Although there has been a lot of interest in using drones for logistics, I read a recent story about how one person was using drones to help hospice patients visit their favorite places one last time before the end.  It seems that an enterprising person is using drones to allow hospice patients one last look at places where they have favorite memories.    This is currently being done in a local area, but this entrepreneur hopes to expand his reach so that he can bring more people to the places that they love.  I can certainly understand this as I currently live in Florida but much of my youth was spent in Southern California.  Since I am permanently in Florida, I do not get to California as often as I would like; however, if I were to end up with terminal cancer the likelihood would be that I would be unable to get myself to California.

If I were very ill and unable to travel, I would still love to be able to see all the places that I remember growing up.  I recently joined a group that shares vintage photos of Westwood, which was one of my regular haunts growing up.  It is great to see pictures of how things looked, and it has stirred some fond memories.  However, I can imagine wanting to see an aerial view of the area to see the architecture, the stores, the great venues for entertainment there.  I really feel that would be quite a site to see before the end, particularly since this experience is done in real time with the patient present, and then it is edited down to capture the most significant memories of the flight.

Another place would be Griffith Park.  Growing up, my friends and I would climb up the hills there and visit the observatory.  We would enjoy great views of the city from up there, and now that the smog is not so bad it means one can see it more often than not. Also, there is the LA Zoo and Travel Town there.   I have even made my children go up there with me to see the sights. 

One can see the famous Hollywood sign from up there and it is great to see that the landmark continues to excite tourists from all around the world.   This would be a great place to get an amazing aerial view of the park as well as of the city.   The view is spectacular during the day as well as at night because the lights of the city streets create a high-pressure sodium orange latticework that crisscrosses the city.

Drones are only limited by the dreamers and innovators that can see past the history of how they have been used to see a future of how they can be used to benefit others.  I think that helping hospice patients have a look at their favorite spots to be important.  Bringing happiness to those that have little to look forward to is clearly something that only technology can offer.  There is significant value by allowing hospice patients one last look at their favorite places, and it is amazing that innovative logistics can bring these kinds of images to people that appreciate them.   I feel that all of us would like one last look at certain special places in our lives, especially if these places seem to be beyond our reach near the end of our lives.

The Future of Intermodal Freight

Although sea freight and rail is currently the most popular form of intermodal freight, it is my opinion that this will change in the coming decades. There is no doubt that sea and rail will still be an important part of any organization’s supply chain, but logistics is on the cusp of a new generation of intermodal freight.  Looking forward, one has to recognize the growing importance of Autonomous Delivery Systems. Drones, terrestrial robots or self-piloting vehicles will soon dominate the “last mile” of delivery.

Some might feel that this might be a little premature, but people have forgotten that these devices already operate among us and no one is taking notice. Amazon has begun an aggressive acquisition program to create a global network of logistics as well as become a manufacturer of delivery drones. Although some feel that this is premature, Germany and Switzerland are both already using drones to deliver mail. Amazon is already testing drone deliveries in three countries outside of the United States. This new technology has the potential to disrupt the old system of movement of goods. 

The U.K. is already testing terrestrial autonomous robots to deliver groceries locally in London. The Botler (an automated hotel robot) has already been in use at hotels for almost a year. These technologies seem more likely to be accepted due to not violating our airspace, but greater acceptance will certainly come in time. Furthermore, a mining company in Australia is already using self-piloting trucks to make regular deliveries in a remote area, and a group of autonomous trucks were organized in a convoy travel through Europe.

Another consideration that has crept up and no one has cried foul is self-piloting rail vehicles.  Self-piloting trains are common in many airports, and these robotic railcars carry hundreds of thousands of people, if not millions of people daily with rarely an incident.  There is already a company working to create a small robot train delivery system that could be integrated as part of city transportation and delivery system.  There is no doubt that more of this kind of technology will be used in the future as additional logistical support is required to support the growing demand of consumers. 

In closing, intermodal freight will certainly be changing over the next several years.  It is not surprising that robots and drones will be reinventing society as there has been a shift in intermodal freight that occurs every few decades or so.  Clearly ADS offers disruptive technology will change the appearance of intermodal freight for the remainder of the century. 

References

Amazon. (n.d.). Amazon. Retrieved from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com

Associated Press. (2014, July 12). Amazon asks FAA for permission to test its delivery drones. Retrieved from Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/07/12/amazon-asks-faa-for-permission-to-use-drones-to-deliver-packages/

Clark, C. (2015, October 19). Rio Tinto using self driving trucks to transport ore. Retrieved from Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/rio-tinto-using-self-driving-trucks-to-transport-ore-2015-10?r=UK&IR=T

Gaudin, S. (2015, March 12). Hotel guests open the door to a robotic butler. Retrieved from Computer World: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2895791/hotel-guests-open-the-door-to-a-robotic-butler.html

Nield, D. (2015, April 15). UK company wants to deliver parcels through an automated underground tunnel system. Retrieved from Giz Mag: http://www.gizmag.com/mole-solutions-underground-deliveries/37009/

Tablyn, T. (2016, February 23). Delivery Drone Company To Start Testing Robots On London Streets Next Month. Retrieved from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/23/delivery-drone-company-to-start-testing-robots-on-london-streets-next-month_n_9296594.html