{"title":"Modelling public attitude towards drone delivery in Germany","authors":"Robin Kellermann, Tobias Biehle, Hamid Mostofi","doi":"10.1186/s12544-023-00606-0","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Last-mile delivery by drone is expected to be a promising innovation for future urban logistics. However, in addition to adoption of services by customers, leveraging this delivery method will depend essentially on a positive public perception of such services in urban airspace. Objective This article provides novel and comprehensive insights into factors driving or impeding citizens' attitudes towards drone delivery. Methodology The article develops a structural equation model that derives from a sequential exploratory mixed methods design. In the first step, factors affecting attitudes towards drone delivery were identified within the scope of five focus groups and converted into the development of a questionnaire. In the second step, a German population-representative survey was conducted through telephone interviews, which provided reliable data to test the model (n = 819). Results Expected risks (particularly stress due to traffic in lower airspace, noise, and visual disturbances), as well as expected benefits (particularly fast and time-flexible delivery), significantly affect attitudes towards drone-based delivery, while the individual level of technological openness (technophilia) does not have a significant association. Moreover, the model reveals that the expected risks of drone deliveries are stronger associated with public attitude than with expected benefits. Conclusions The provided framework suggests fashioning policies and drone delivery applications that focus on mitigating social, spatial, and visual risks while achieving maximum utility for customers.","PeriodicalId":48671,"journal":{"name":"European Transport Research Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Transport Research Review","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12544-023-00606-0","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract Background Last-mile delivery by drone is expected to be a promising innovation for future urban logistics. However, in addition to adoption of services by customers, leveraging this delivery method will depend essentially on a positive public perception of such services in urban airspace. Objective This article provides novel and comprehensive insights into factors driving or impeding citizens' attitudes towards drone delivery. Methodology The article develops a structural equation model that derives from a sequential exploratory mixed methods design. In the first step, factors affecting attitudes towards drone delivery were identified within the scope of five focus groups and converted into the development of a questionnaire. In the second step, a German population-representative survey was conducted through telephone interviews, which provided reliable data to test the model (n = 819). Results Expected risks (particularly stress due to traffic in lower airspace, noise, and visual disturbances), as well as expected benefits (particularly fast and time-flexible delivery), significantly affect attitudes towards drone-based delivery, while the individual level of technological openness (technophilia) does not have a significant association. Moreover, the model reveals that the expected risks of drone deliveries are stronger associated with public attitude than with expected benefits. Conclusions The provided framework suggests fashioning policies and drone delivery applications that focus on mitigating social, spatial, and visual risks while achieving maximum utility for customers.
期刊介绍:
European Transport Research Review (ETRR) is a peer-reviewed open access journal publishing original high-quality scholarly research and developments in areas related to transportation science, technologies, policy and practice. Established in 2008 by the European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI), the Journal provides researchers and practitioners around the world with an authoritative forum for the dissemination and critical discussion of new ideas and methodologies that originate in, or are of special interest to, the European transport research community. The journal is unique in its field, as it covers all modes of transport and addresses both the engineering and the social science perspective, offering a truly multidisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, engineers and policymakers. ETRR is aimed at a readership including researchers, practitioners in the design and operation of transportation systems, and policymakers at the international, national, regional and local levels.