Are we a society of people who lack patience? I have been reading a lot about the use of drones, lately. Mostly in a retail type setting. Recently, I read an article that suggested Wal-Mart might start using drones in their stores. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, simply call upon this drone and it will do the work for you. Sure, retail shopping can be extremely frustrating at times, but is this type of technology really worth it? Especially in this situation. Wal-Mart stores do seem to be getting bigger and bigger. And there is a push to have everything under one roof, rather than going to a several specialty stores. Which I get. Your time is important. But I wonder if the idea of a big box store is backfiring a bit.
I mean, think about it. If you’re in a store, and you can’t find an item, you would typically ask someone for help – right? So why can’t a sales associate either retrieve the item for you? Or take you directly to it? How is the drone going to be able to locate the item any better than a human? What if you’re confused and you told it the wrong product? Or can it only find certain items? So many questions! I just feel like this is kind of a ridiculous idea. Maybe you don’t like to shop, but there are other options. Online shopping for example. You can have almost anything delivered to you. So why not take advantage of that, rather than wasting your time getting to, and navigating a store?
Drones are being used by several large companies to deliver packages to their customers. Which is a great idea, but it begs my original question – are we too impatient? Yes, it gives you the convenience of in-store shopping without all the hassles. I agree. I myself am very impatient, so I feel like I can speak for myself in this situation. When you need something, or even just want it, you don’t want to wait. I have had to wait several days for a parcel to even be shipped when the item is alleged to be in stock. And then wait a few more to receive it because of shipping. But do I need a drone to bring it to me?
Impatience aside, drones are being used for some pretty interesting reasons. I wrote about their ability to transport passengers around a city. Now, a police department in the UK will use them to provide 24 hour assistance. The drones will be used to help locate missing persons, search for suspects and generally keep an eye on the city when needed. The theory is that it will make searches safer for the police. Instead of having to chase a vehicle with a car or motorcycle, the drone can follow the suspected vehicle and provide information to the department. Who can then notify police on the streets of it’s location and be able to apprehend a suspect without all unnecessary danger.
In theory, I like this idea, but it is also a bit like “Big Brother” at all times. I can definitely see why this could be positive, but I am always a little apprehensive of what this could lead to. Or what it already means from a privacy perspective? My Dad has a famous saying which essentially is – if you’re not doing anything wrong, then there is no reason to worry. And in this case, worry about who is watching. But I think in today’s world, we all have to be careful about this. And maybe this in itself is not an issue, but what can it lead to? Or who will be using it? Does the police department have guidelines about what they will monitor and log? Or do they have carte blanche to do whatever they wish with the information?
Either way, drones are here to stay. How we use them, and how that usage evolves will be very interesting to watch.