Drones are the future, and the future is here. They are being tested and used in ways people never dreamed of, including delivering packages to homes, aiding farmers with their crops, and even helping reunite a lost dog with his family. Drones are also the future of shipping and commerce, helping to alleviate some of the areas that consumers feel the industry is falling short on.

“We are excited about the many ways that drones are being used today and will be used in the future,” says Dan O'Toole, founder, and chief executive officer of Dronedek. “Not only are they being used for package delivery, but for building and bridge inspections, film production, emergency services, and even firefighting.”

The need for drone delivery services is mainly fueled by people unhappy with how things are currently being done. People are tired of having their packages stolen or ruined by the weather. They no longer want items delivered to the wrong address or left unattended on the front porch. Each year, millions of orders are placed for goods that consumers are not receiving due to porch pirates stealing them and other mishaps.

With these issues in mind, drone delivery is emerging as a solution, and Dronedek is leading the way. They have created a smart receptacle that will allow the drone to place the item into the secure box, keeping it out of the hands of those it doesn't belong and guarding it against the elements.Dronedek comes with facial recognition, ensuring that only the rightful owners of the box are able to open it and obtain the packages.

Most people will be able to benefit from drone delivery, including these three types of customers:

  1. Consumers. Ordering products to be delivered to the home has become millions of people's most popular way of shopping. Those who have items delivered to the home can ensure they receive them securely. Whether ordering clothing, gifts or renewing their prescriptions, they will rest assured knowing they will get the ordered items. The types of things that can be delivered is never-ending, ranging from prescription medications to meal deliveries from local restaurants. Consumers who need on-demand items in under 30 minutes will also beneft.
  2. Businesses. Whether businesses send or place orders to receive items, they can take advantage of secure drone delivery. They will benefit when they place orders because they will receive the things they have ordered, but they will also help to improve their customer's experience when a drone delivers their items to the consumer. Those businesses wanting to get their goods into the hands of consumers faster will be able to take advantage of drone delivery to make it happen.
  3. Officials. All types of government offices will be able to benefit from the secure delivery provided by drones. They will not have to worry about sensitive information and goods falling into the wrong hands when they opt for drone delivery. Dronedek has created a way to make it easier for first responders to find homes. Rather than scrambling to locate a home address, there are emergency lights that will light up on the Dronedek, quickly alerting first responders to the home that has called 9-1-1. Governments looking to develop their smart city infrastructure, including reducing the wear on their roads, will be able to use the power of drones.

"Drone delivery is going to change everything in a good way," O'Toole said. "Everyone is tired of stolen packages. Porch pirates are on alert that their way of doing things is coming to an end. They are the only ones who won’t benefit from drone delivery services. “With these issues in mind, drone delivery is emerging as a solution, and Dronedek is leading the way.”

Dronedek is developing its smart mailbox to be a necessary and complimentary cornerstone to the emerging drone delivery ecosystem. They believe that widespread, fully scaled autonomous deliveries cannot truly happen without a Dronedek smart mailbox as the automated endpoints.

Founded by Dan O'Toole, Dronedek has raised more than $7 million to date, and is currently launching pilot programs in select areas of the US. Dubbed as the "mailbox of the future," the receptacle will help people send and receive packages securely and safely and provides privacy. The company has also recently announced a number of new partnerships across ecosystem. This ranges from drone providers such as Vayu Aerospace and Hush Aerospace, to security providers such as Sera4 and Scylla, and network connectivity provider Helium.