As autonomous package delivery moves beyond the nascent stage, industry and government leaders should focus on a regulatory and industry-level changes to speed worldwide adoption, according to Arrive, an Indiana, USA-based company focused on bringing drone-based Mailbox as a Service into all homes.

Autonomous delivery uses advanced technologies like robotics, drones and driverless vehicles to transport goods and packages and is expected to revolutionize the logistics and transportation industry.

More than 90 percent of the items that consumers order daily weigh five pounds or less, making them ideal candidates for autonomous delivery.

Aside from the convenience of modern technology, the need for smart mail boxes has been necessitated by the fact that traditional delivery often involves leaving packages unattended on clients’ porches and doorsteps – and in the Us alone, about 1.7 million of them are lost or stolen daily.

Arrive claims its smart mailboxes fix that security issues and are designed to accept autonomous delivery.

“Safety and security will serve as the bedrock and standard – not just for drone delivery, but for all autonomous delivery services,” Arrive CEO Dan O’Toole said.

“We envision a system that is protected, connected and ensures a reliable chain of custody.

“Without a smart mailbox for autonomous delivery package theft will only get worse. Consumers ordering food or medicine, for example, would never want their packages left unattended even for a second. They deserve peace of mind throughout the delivery process.”

But for these smart mailboxes to work, Arrive reckons there are ten things that stakeholders and regulators need to iron out first, before successfully introducing the technology to the market.

These issues are:

• Enhanced safety and security: Autonomous vehicles and devices must be safe before being deployed. Arrive’s smart mailboxes help improve safety by providing a secure endpoint designed to accept autonomous delivery.
• Regulatory approvals: Autonomous delivery vehicles will need to be approved by regulators before they can be deployed. Arrive is working closely with regulators to ensure its solutions meet safety and security requirements.
• Real-time notifications: Customers need to be able to track their deliveries in real time. Arrive’s smart mailboxes provide that service.
• Packaging café standards: Autonomous delivery vehicles need to be able to handle a variety of package sizes and weights. Arrive’s smart mailboxes are designed to accommodate a wide range of package sizes.
• Climate-assisted storage: Food and medicine often need to be stored in a climate-assisted environment. Arrive’s smart mailboxes are designed to offer climate-assisted space.
• Return logistics: Customers often want to return items that they have purchased online. Arrive’s smart mailboxes enable delivery and return service.
• Affordability: Autonomous delivery vehicles must be affordable to be widely adopted.
• Convenience: Autonomous delivery must be convenient for customers. Arrive’s smart mailboxes securely hold packages until they can be retrieved.
• No sound or aesthetics nuisances: Autonomous delivery vehicles should not be a nuisance to the public. Arrive’s smart mailboxes are designed to be quiet and discreet without unsightly lights or signage.
• Carbon neutrality: Autonomous delivery should be carbon neutral. Arrive is committed to sustainability and is working to make its solutions carbon neutral.

Headquartered in Indianapolis and formerly known as Dronedek, Arrive is a specialises in last-mile delivery, addressing the evolving needs of autonomous drone and robotic delivery through unlocking the seamless movement of goods and supplies between people, robots and drones.

The company’s smart Mailbox-as-a-Service platform and infrastructure solutions empower Autonomous Delivery Networks to operate more efficiently with secure and climate-assisted cargo space, smart alerts and chain of custody.