After years of anticipation, the drone delivery ecosystem is finally beginning to take shape in many parts of the world. But even as progress is made on the rules and infrastructure side, a singular factor wields the power to dash the hopes of drone deliveries en masse: the weather. Thankfully though, researchers are testing how 5G, mobile edge computing, and artificial intelligence can help drones detect, interpret, and respond to changing weather conditions in real time.
We’ve previously reported on a study that underscores why the weather is an important and poorly resolved factor that may affect ambitions to expand drone operations. More recently, Carol Tomé, the CEO at UPS, brought up the weather to downplay her company’s drone delivery ambitions, stating this at an American Chamber of Commerce event:
You can’t fly them when it’s windy. You can’t fly them when it’s rainy. There are lots of issues with drones.
The problem is indeed real. And…
