Last-Mile Delivery Drone Installed Base

By 2032, ABI Research analysts forecast more than 5,000 drones flying the skies for last-mile delivery services around the globe. Last-mile delivery drones will primarily be used in Asia-Pacific and, to a lesser degree, North America. These technologies will remain nascent in Europe and other regions. 

What is an unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)?

UASs (or drones) are aerial vehicles without any onboard pilots or passengers. UASs are typically controlled remotely by a human operator, and can have various degrees of autonomy. The UASs in this report are intended for commercial delivery use. Drones enable a method of autonomous delivery and minimize the costs incurred by transporting goods over short distances and reducing delivery time. Drones have a maximum take-off weight of around 25 pounds (11.3 kilograms). Laws and regulations are limiting widespread use of UASs in companies’ logistics operations. While some exemptions have been made, it will take time to develop and extend control from line-of-sight to extended line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight, as well as from manually monitored to fully autonomous.