Published on MIT DSpace
Authors: Farri T. Gaba and Matthias Winkenbach
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Transportation & Logistics, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Abstract
This report examines the legal, regulatory, and societal barriers facing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed for last-mile delivery, focusing on deployment in the United States (U.S.). The status quo for current legal and regulatory restrictions is first explored, followed by a discussion on miscellaneous regulatory issues and areas of uncertainty likely to challenge unmanned aerial vehicles for last-mile delivery (UAV-LMD) deployment. This is followed by evaluating potential societal barriers imposed on UAV-LMD and the likely regulatory pathways through which these barriers will manifest. This report offers a nominal set of restrictions likely to limit operators and their fulfillment network planning and strategic design.