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Special Report: The coming transport revolution in Latin America and the Caribbean (ISSN 17414474)
Not just cars
While the future of the automobile is currently at the centre of attention, the transport revolution will affect both passengers and freight, and will have an impact across all transport modes. One of the major developments in air transport in recent years has been the development of drones for a variety of uses. Unmanned aircraft have been used for military surveillance and to mount attacks on distant targets. Amazon.com, the US-based online retailer, has been experimenting with drones to deliver small loads in the US, UK, Austria, and Israel. The company says it is studying different environments in which drones might play a key part in distribution, and has considered the use of parachute-aided delivery for remote localities. BAE Systems has been conducting trials with an autonomous turbo-prop aeroplane. Various companies are developing improved automatic pilot systems, not necessarily to eliminate human pilots, but to reduce operating costs, stress, and human error.
