Cargo drones will reinvent the way freight is moved, introducing a quality of service with which humans will not be able to compete. This is the opinion of Wesley Harris, a professor in aeronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIR). He says driverless cargo drones delivering containers weighing more than a ton are no longer a figment of anyone’s imagination. “These drones will reduce costs, time to delivery, environmental impact and transport on demand,” he said in Cape Town recently. Harris said their ability to operate a quality service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – autonomously – would reshape the freight industry. “Companies, not only in the manufacturing sector but everywhere, are increasingly looking for new ways of doing business and ways to eliminate waste and non valueadded activities from their operations.” Supply chains, said Harris, had to become leaner and more efficient – and quickly. One of the biggest stumbling blocks, however, lies with the noise element of drones. “We are not talking here about small drones that one can buy online, but large industrial machines that can lift a container,” he said. “In urban areas, drones with propellers make a noise, and people living in urban areas may not like seeing drones flying about.” Especially not if they are moving heavy containers. “Our research involved moving containers from JFK Airport in New York downtown across Brooklyn. The drone’s delivery was the most direct route, used less fuel and took less time, but the noise across the suburbs was problematic.” Harris said the study had revealed that drones were likely to be introduced in industrial areas sooner than many thought. “At ports around the world we see trucks getting in the way of trucks. How do we manage that? How do we recover the money lost? The answer is we don’t.” But, using drones alongside autonomous trucks, the entire system could be streamlined. “Not only can drones be used to move containers from one point to another, depending on the actual weight of the cargo, but drones can monitor the location of autonomous trucks 24/7, coordinating the vehicles to move at the most efficient rate. Drones can offer so much opportunity.” Whilst drones do come with some challenges in industrial zones as well, the opportunities, said Harris, were far greater.