Question

From a consumer perspective, what potential advantages and disadvantages to consumers of using autonomous robot-vehicles to deliver purchases.

Would you be willing to pay more to have groceries, pizza, or other items delivered to your home by an autonomous robot?

As a manufacturer, what changes might you consider in product packaging in order to accommodate a rise in autonomous vehicle grocery delivery.

From a societal welfare perspective, what are the implications of companies like FedEx designing autonomous robots to perform tasks once conducted by human delivery drivers?

Answer 1

a) The advantages of using autonomous robot vehicles to deliver purchases would be as follows

• Need no to worry about traffic or congessions.
• Irrespective of time and weather, the bots can deliver the products
• Consumer can utilize the time on performing another important task
• Can use two wheelers instead of four wheelers as one need not to carry goods from the POS.
• Less delivery charges as human involvement is absent

The disadvantages are as follows

• Waiting period for delivery as a particulardelivery good be in queue
• Are packaging and food safe to consume delivered by bots

b) Paying additional to the service doesnt make any sense as the whole purpose is not served. And why would one pay extra for the same delivery they are getting now for a lesser price.

c) The packing changes should be as follows

• Spill proof packages
• Contained and crate packing for fragile items
• Category specific packaging using compartments

d) The societal welfare perspectives and the implications are as follows

• Helps in reducing traffic congessions
• Reduction in delivery cost, hence the delivery charges paid by the customers will reduce
• Reduces the risks of accidents as the vehicles are technical advanced and also human life is not at stake
• Automation can give raise to 24*7 delivery services
• Delivery under adverse climate conditions could be possible as the techology becomes more advance