# Toward a Modern Last-Mile Delivery: Consequences and Obstacles of Intelligent Technology
## 3 Feasibility of Modern LMD
However, rural areas see more drone deliveries because lower population density means there is less incentive to set up drop-off points as often as in cities, so rural residents must travel far to the nearest drop-off point. An autonomous delivery vehicle refers to a self-driving vehicle that is capable of delivering goods from retailers on its own without human mediation. Autonomous delivery vehicles have a broad application prospect in densely populated urban areas with complex traffic road conditions due to their small size, low speed, and lower accident risk [112]. AI can minimize road accidents by understanding traffic patterns, making transportation safer and more dependable [113]. These attributes lead to the vision of LMD becoming totally autonomous and demonstrating the feasibility of constructing a sustainable transportation network with reduced accident risks. In general, an autonomous transportation network would remove many human influences in LMD, leading to an autonomous system that could benefit last-mile companies[PERSON] Autonomous transport systems provide autonomous and unmanned transfer of equipment, people, baggage loads, information or even resources from point-to-point with less intervention. They can include different range of transport vehicles, including buses, trucks, trains, ships, airplanes, and metro systems. AI and machines can improve productivity, reduce labor costs, increase safety, reduce waste, and maintain quality throughout the business process, and these advancements will increase company revenues [114]. Human replacement by robots, such as truck drivers being replaced by autonomous vehicles, raises questions about social sustainability due to people's fear of unemployment, and although this may be true, new technologies will create new job opportunities in other areas [114]. [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [37] identify a congestion benefit based on their systematic analysis[PERSON] Even if robots move slowly, they can increase their time efficiency when delivering multiple orders by avoiding traffic congestion on major roads[PERSON] This article suggests that this type of LMD would be advantageous for a smaller set of customers in the city center where congestion is high, since the robots may work during low-traffic hours [37][PERSON] However, it is worth mentioning that [PERSON] and [PERSON] [40] say that congestion has benefits but also downsides. Delivery on sidewalk robots might minimize the amount of automobiles on the road on one hand, which would be advantageous in cities where externalities are an issue, but on the other hand, negative effects include sidewalk congestion and pedestrian safety in urban areas. This, combined with parcel deliveries and customer demands for fast deliveries, increases the need for sidewalk autonomous delivery robots. Additionally, people may be concerned about the safety and regulations governing drone deliveries. The issue with drone deliveries seems to be that the packages do not have a safe landing area. They cannot open mailboxes, porches tend to be covered, and back yards often have dogs in them. Some companies have devised a method of parachute delivery but this is unreliable and dependent on weather conditions [109]. Next, according to [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [90], high implementation costs and security risks make robot use in modern society difficult. For instance, United States and China have the most AI applications [105], but many of these modern LMDs can fail if local governments do not support them. Many new robot rules have been enacted by authorities; for instance, San Francisco that decided in 2017 to restrict the use of robots to specific areas and districts of the city, with a limit of three per company [39]. Virginia officials have also discussed delivery drone weight, demonstrating that many frames and standards must be finalized before AI and new LMD businesses can operate efficiently [39].