A bane or boon of technologies : risks and benefits of drone delivery on last-mile operations

Abstract

Drones for logistics operations have emerged as a popular topic in logistics, offering numerous benefits and risks to the society and environment. While drones can have a significant impact on the surroundings, the environment and external factors can also influence drone delivery operations, resulting in a complex interplay. This article combines a comprehensive literature review and cocitation analysis, supplemented by practices, to explore the two-way interaction between drones and the environment. The benefits and risks of this interaction are also examined. A trend analysis is further conducted to generate insights regarding the stages of development in the literature. Combining findings from the reviewed literature and practices, we propose the novel 3R framework to guide future drone delivery adoption in practical operations. This framework highlights the importance of investigating drone delivery models and their respective risks that should be mitigated. Finally, a future research agenda is proposed to inspire further explorations in this rapidly evolving field of last-mile operations.