Drone-Aided Delivery Methods, Challenge, and the Future: A Methodological Review

The use of drones for package delivery, commonly known as drone delivery or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery, has gained significant attention from academia and industries. Compared to traditional delivery methods, it provides greater flexibility, improved accessibility, increased speed and efficiency, enhanced safety, and even some environmental benefits. With the increasing interest in this technology, it is crucial for researchers and practitioners to understand the current state of the art in drone delivery. This paper aims to review the current literature on drone delivery and identify research trends, challenges, and future research directions. Specifically, the relevant literature is identified and selected using a systematic literature review approach. We then categorize the literature according to the characteristics and objectives of the problems and thoroughly analyze them based on mathematical formulations and solution techniques. We summarize key challenges and limitations associated with drone delivery from technological, safety, societal, and environmental aspects. Finally, potential research directions are identified.

• Publication year

  2023

• Venue

  Drones

• Publication date

  2023-03-10

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/drones7030191
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Consumer preferences for innovative and traditional last-mile parcel delivery

  2022cited by this paper
• A bi-objective optimization model for the medical supplies' simultaneous pickup and delivery with drones

  2022cited by this paper
• Systemic Performance Analysis on Zoning for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Service Delivery

  2022cited by this paper
• A Decision System for Routing Problems and Rescheduling Issues Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

  2022cited by this paper
• Towards the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): A Comprehensive Review

  2022cited by this paper
• Scheduling Diagnostic Testing Kit Deliveries with the Mothership and Drone Routing Problem

  2022cited by this paper
• Quantitative Ground Risk Assessment for Urban Logistical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Based on Bayesian Network

  2022cited by this paper
• Ground Control System for UAS Safe Landing Area Determination (SLAD) in Urban Air Mobility Operations

  2022cited by this paper
• Design of Secure Handover Authentication Scheme for Urban Air Mobility Environments

  2022cited by this paper
• Investigation of Merge Assist Policies to Improve Safety of Drone Traffic in a Constrained Urban Airspace

  2022cited by this paper
• Spatial Premises and Key Conditions for the Use of UAVs for Delivery of Items on the Example of the Polish Courier and Postal Services Market

  2022cited by this paper
• Routing and scheduling optimization for UAV assisted delivery system: A hybrid approach

  2022cited by this paper
• The Use of Drones for Last-Mile Delivery: A Numerical Case Study in Milan, Italy

  2022cited by this paper
• Solving the vehicle routing problem with drone for delivery services using an ant colony optimization algorithm

  2022cited by this paper
• Supply chain management during and post-COVID-19 pandemic: Mitigation strategies and practical lessons learned

  2022cited by this paper
• On the Scheduling of Conflictual Deliveries in a last-mile delivery scenario with truck-carried drones

  2022cited by this paper
• Role of Drone Technology Helping in Alleviating the COVID-19 Pandemic

  2022cited by this paper
• A novel multi-objective optimization model for the vehicle routing problem with drone delivery and dynamic flight endurance

  2022cited by this paper
• Toward a Modern Last-Mile Delivery: Consequences and Obstacles of Intelligent Technology

  2022cited by this paper
• Implementing Mitigations for Improving Societal Acceptance of Urban Air Mobility

  2022cited by this paper
• Optimization approaches for the urban delivery problem with trucks and drones

  2022cited by this paper
• Traffic management and resource allocation for UAV-based parcel delivery in low-altitude urban space

  2022cited by this paper
• The impact of COVID-19 on the evolution of online retail: The pandemic as a window of opportunity

  2022cited by this paper
• An improved variable neighborhood search for parallel drone scheduling traveling salesman problem

  2022cited by this paper
• Urban Air Mobility: History, Ecosystem, Market Potential, and Challenges

  2021cited by this paper
• A Literature Review of Drone-Based Package Delivery Logistics Systems and Their Implementation Feasibility

  2021cited by this paper
• Joint optimisation of drone routing and battery wear for sustainable supply chain development: a mixed-integer programming model based on blockchain-enabled fleet sharing

  2021cited by this paper
• Smart urban logistics: Literature review and future directions

  2021cited by this paper
• Genetic algorithm for scheduling of parcel delivery by drones

  2021cited by this paper
• E-commerce as the predominant business model of fast fashion retailers in the era of global COVID 19 pandemics

  2021cited by this paper
• Drones for supply chain management and logistics: a review and research agenda

  2021cited by this paper
• Energy demand of parcel delivery services with a mixed fleet of electric vehicles

  2021cited by this paper
• Energy Consumption Model of Aerial Urban Logistic Infrastructures

  2021cited by this paper
• Sound Propagation Modelling for Manned and Unmanned Aircraft Noise Assessment and Mitigation: A Review

  2021cited by this paper
• Advances of UAVs toward Future Transportation: The State-of-the-Art, Challenges, and Opportunities

  2021cited by this paper
• Exact methods for the traveling salesman problem with multiple drones

  2021cited by this paper
• The parallel drone scheduling problem with multiple drones and vehicles

  2021cited by this paper
• Determining Optimal Route for Medication Delivery of Covid-19 Patients with Drone

  2021cited by this paper
• Selecting Freight Transportation Modes in Last-Mile Urban Distribution in Pamplona (Spain): An Option for Drone Delivery in Smart Cities

  2021cited by this paper
• Optimization of Truck-Drone Parcel Delivery Using Metaheuristics

  2021cited by this paper
• Humanitarian Drones: A Review and Research Agenda

  2021cited by this paper
• THE APPLICATION OF DRONES IN CITY LOGISTICS CONCEPTS

  2021cited by this paper
• A study on the influential factors of the last mile delivery projects during Covid-19 era

  2021cited by this paper
• Planning the Future of Smart Cities With Swarms of Fully Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Using a Novel Framework

  2021cited by this paper
• A Psychoacoustic Approach to Building Knowledge about Human Response to Noise of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

  2021cited by this paper
• Multifaceted applicability of drones: A review

  2021cited by this paper
• Applications and Research avenues for drone-based models in logistics: A classification and review

  2021cited by this paper
• A viability study using conceptual models for last mile drone logistics operations in populated urban cities of India

  2021cited by this paper
• A branch-and-cut algorithm for the vehicle routing problem with drones

  2021cited by this paper
• An enhanced genetic algorithm for unmanned aerial vehicle logistics scheduling

  2021cited by this paper
• An Exact Approach for a Variant of the FS-TSP

  2021cited by this paper
• UAVs Trajectory Optimization for Data Pick Up and Delivery with Time Window

  2021cited by this paper
• Model of Third-Party Risk Index for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Delivery in Urban Environment

  2020cited by this paper
• Scheduling drone charging for multi-drone network based on consensus time-stamp and game theory

  2020cited by this paper
• Development of Direct Models for Percent Time-Spent Following on Two-Lane Highways

  2020cited by this paper
• A transformation technique for the clustered generalized traveling salesman problem with applications to logistics

  2020cited by this paper
• Drones for parcel and passenger transportation: A literature review

  2020cited by this paper
• Scheduling of a Parcel Delivery System Consisting of an Aerial Drone Interacting with Public Transportation Vehicles

  2020cited by this paper
• Using drones for parcels delivery process

  2020cited by this paper
• Joint optimization of customer location clustering and drone-based routing for last-mile deliveries

  2020cited by this paper
• Unmanned aerial vehicles/drones in vehicle routing problems: a literature review

  2020cited by this paper
• Design and Analysis of Novel Hybrid Multi-Objective Optimization Approach for Data-Driven Sustainable Delivery Systems

  2020cited by this paper
• Automation, electrification, and shared mobility in urban freight: opportunities and challenges

  2020cited by this paper
• Lidar Data Reduction for Unmanned Systems Navigation in Urban Canyon

  2020cited by this paper
• Optimization for drone and drone-truck combined operations: A review of the state of the art and future directions

  2020cited by this paper
• Model and Hybrid Algorithm of Collaborative Distribution System with Multiple Drones and a Truck

  2020cited by this paper
• Managing the drone revolution: A systematic literature review into the current use of airborne drones and future strategic directions for their effective control

  2020cited by this paper
• Drone-aided routing: A literature review

  2020cited by this paper
• The multiple flying sidekicks traveling salesman problem with variable drone speeds

  2020cited by this paper
• Drone routing with energy function: Formulation and exact algorithm

  2020cited by this paper
• Estimation of traffic density from drone-based delivery in very low level urban airspace

  2020cited by this paper
• Optimal routing, loading and aborting of UAVs executing both visiting tasks and transportation tasks

  2020cited by this paper
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Routing Problems: A Literature Review

  2020cited by this paper
• Analysis of barriers to implement drone logistics

  2020cited by this paper
• Drone-Based Parcel Delivery Using the Rooftops of City Buildings: Model and Solution

  2020cited by this paper
• Minimizing energy and cost in range-limited drone deliveries with speed optimization

  2020cited by this paper
• Low-Altitude Navigation for Multi-Rotor Drones in Urban Areas

  2019cited by this paper
• Planning deliveries with UAV routing under weather forecast and energy consumption constraints

  2019cited by this paper
• Matheuristic algorithms for the parallel drone scheduling traveling salesman problem

  2019cited by this paper
• Multi-objective Scheduling of Logistics UAVs Based on Simulated Annealing

  2019cited by this paper
• Drone Delivery Scheduling Optimization Considering Payload-induced Battery Consumption Rates

  2019cited by this paper
• Auction-Based Charging Scheduling With Deep Learning Framework for Multi-Drone Networks

  2019cited by this paper
• Multiple traveling salesman problem with drones: Mathematical model and heuristic approach

  2019cited by this paper
• Efficient Large-Scale Multi-Drone Delivery Using Transit Networks

  2019cited by this paper
• Impact of drone delivery on sustainability and cost: Realizing the UAV potential through vehicle routing optimization

  2019cited by this paper
• A Hybrid Genetic Algorithm on Routing and Scheduling for Vehicle-Assisted Multi-Drone Parcel Delivery

  2019cited by this paper
• Traveling Salesman Problem With a Drone Station

  2019cited by this paper
• Effects of a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle on urban soundscapes perception

  2019cited by this paper
• An adaptive large neighborhood search metaheuristic for the vehicle routing problem with drones

  2019cited by this paper
• A Survey of Recent Extended Variants of the Traveling Salesman and Vehicle Routing Problems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

  2019cited by this paper
• Optimal delivery routing with wider drone-delivery areas along a shorter truck-route

  2018cited by this paper
• Drone delivery from trucks: Drone scheduling for given truck routes

  2018cited by this paper
• Drone delivery: Factors affecting the public's attitude and intention to adopt

  2018cited by this paper
• Joint Ground and Aerial Package Delivery Services: A Stochastic Optimization Approach

  2018cited by this paper
• Air transport and tourism – a systematic literature review (2000–2014)

  2018cited by this paper
• Application of hierarchical facility location problem for optimization of a drone delivery system: a case study of Amazon prime air in the city of San Francisco

  2018cited by this paper
• A range-restricted recharging station coverage model for drone delivery service planning

  2018cited by this paper
• A decomposition-based iterative optimization algorithm for traveling salesman problem with drone

  2018cited by this paper
• Physical and chemical properties of corn, cassava, and potato starchs

  2018cited by this paper
• Energy use and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of drones for commercial package delivery

  2018cited by this paper

• The Sound of UAVs: A Review of Algorithms, Applications, and Databases

  2026cites this paper
• Performance evaluation of a radar-on-chip system for obstacle detection strategies for urban air mobility (UAM) applications

  2026cites this paper
• Challenges for the Drone Logistics Sector in Complying with Dangerous Goods Regulations: A Case Study in a UK Healthcare Setting

  2026cites this paper
• IP 3 C: Integrated Path Planning and Predictive Control for UAV Swarm Navigation in Cluttered Environment

  2026cites this paper
• Synthetizing 6G KPIs for Diverse Future Use Cases: A Comprehensive Review of Emerging Standards, Technologies, and Societal Needs

  2026cites this paper
• Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic interactions in multirotor aircraft for urban air mobility: A review

  2026cites this paper
• Bridging Perception and Reasoning: Dual-Pipeline Neuro-Symbolic Landing for UAVs in Cluttered Environments

  2025cites this paper
• Employing Hybrid Pointer Networks With Deep Reinforcement Learning for Drone Routing in Delivery Using Public Transportation as Carriers

  2025cites this paper
• Multi-Objective Multi-Drone Collaborative Routing Problem With Heterogeneous Delivery and Pickup Service

  2025cites this paper
• Integrated electric ground vehicle and drone with blockchain-driven approach for routing delivery

  2025cites this paper
• Delivering tomorrow today: The role of cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence in drones in shaping new business models

  2025cites this paper
• The proof is in the pudding: public beliefs, emotions and sentiments on drone deliveries in extreme contexts

  2025cites this paper
• Modeling the process of autonomous landing of a uav quadcopter on a moving platform using an infrared optical system

  2025cites this paper
• Cross-domain UAV pose estimation: A novel attempt in UAV visual localization

  2025cites this paper
• AI-Based Low-Altitude Delivery Fresh Food Supply Chain: Research Progress and Trends

  2025cites this paper
• Aerial pathways to resilience: the acceptance of drones in logistics transformation

  2025cites this paper
• Monitoring Inter-Drone Service Interference for Resilient Operations

  2025cites this paper
• Machine Learning Paradigms for UAV Path Planning: Review and Challenges

  2025cites this paper
• Enhancing drone propellers: practical insights from BEM-based pitch optimization

  2025cites this paper
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Last-Mile Parcel Delivery: A State-of-the-Art Review

  2025cites this paper
• Gender perspectives on drone technology adoption in healthcare logistics

  2025cites this paper
• A Dual-Encoding-based Genetic Algorithm for Multi-Objective Multi-UAV Scheduling in Firefighting Scenarios

  2025cites this paper
• Perspectives on low-Reynolds-number aerodynamics: shape, motion and structure

  2025cites this paper
• Enhancing UAV Surveillance in VLRC Systems: A Unitary CP Factorization Approach for OFDM-Based Passive Radar

  2025cites this paper
• Security factor identification of drone delivery system based on blockchain

  2025cites this paper
• UAVScenes: A Multi-Modal Dataset for UAVs

  2025cites this paper
• A literature review of collaborative truck and drone in last-mile delivery

  2025cites this paper
• AERO-LQG: Aerial-Enabled Robust Optimization for LQG-Based Quadrotor Flight Controller

  2025cites this paper
• Suitability Assessment and Route Network Planning for Low-Altitude Transportation in Urban Agglomerations Using Multi-Source Data

  2025cites this paper
• Embodied AI: Emerging Risks and Opportunities for Policy Action

  2025cites this paper
• Short-Term Guidance Algorithm on a Drone Road System

  2025cites this paper
• Research on the optimization of delivery routes for vehicles with drones under no-fly zone restrictions

  2025cites this paper
• AeroVerse-Review: Comprehensive survey on aerial embodied vision-and-language navigation

  2025cites this paper
• Exploring Subterranean Environments: Three-Dimensional UAV Path Planning for Enclosed Terrains

  2025cites this paper
• OPtimized Data Management for IOT-Driven Healthcare: A Hybrid Indexing Framework for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLoS) Flights

  2025influential citation
• Hybrid Drone and Truck Delivery Optimization in Remote Areas Using Geospatial Analytics

  2025cites this paper
• The Study on Real-Time RRT-Based Path Planning for UAVs Using a STM32 Microcontroller

  2025cites this paper
• GIS-Enabled Truck–Drone Hybrid Systems for Agricultural Last-Mile Delivery: A Multidisciplinary Review with Insights from a Rural Region

  2025cites this paper
• Digital Disruption at the Edge: A Review of Barriers to Drone Technology in Last-Mile Delivery

  2025influential citation
• Dynamic and Immersive Framework for Drone Delivery Services in Skyway Networks

  2025cites this paper
• A guided approach for cross-view geolocalization estimation with land cover semantic segmentation

  2025cites this paper
• Equity-based vaccine delivery by drones: Optimizing distribution in disease-prone regions

  2025cites this paper
• Design and Basic Aerodynamic Analysis of a Drone-Suspended Transport Container for Safe Biological Sample Transport

  2025cites this paper
• A Mid-Air Charging Mechanism for Extended Flight Duration

  2025cites this paper
• Urban Aircraft Path Planning in Wind Fields

  2025cites this paper
• The En Route Truck-Drone Delivery Problem

  2024cites this paper
• UAV Detection Using Reinforcement Learning

  2024cites this paper
• Advanced Image Preprocessing and Integrated Modeling for UAV Plant Image Classification

  2024cites this paper
• Advancing Social Equity in Urban UAV Logistics: Insights from the Academic Literature and Social Media

  2024cites this paper
• A multi-objective model for cooperative delivery of customer orders using multiple trucks and UAVs considering weather conditions

  2024cites this paper
• UCDNet: Multi-UAV Collaborative 3-D Object Detection Network by Reliable Feature Mapping

  2024cites this paper
• Vision-Based Deep Reinforcement Learning of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Autonomous Navigation Using Privileged Information

  2024cites this paper
• Management of Consumers Embraces Drone Delivery

  2024cites this paper
• A carbon aware ant colony system for the sustainable generalized traveling salesman problem

  2024cites this paper
• UAV Path Planning for Cave Exploration Using Tangent Based Intersection Method

  2024cites this paper
• Risk Analysis of the Use of Drones in City Logistics

  2024cites this paper
• Medical Kit Delivery using Drone: Critical Medical Infrastructure Solution for Emergency Medical Situation

  2024cites this paper
• Determining the parameters of the functioning for a nonlinear ballistic system in a real external environment

  2024cites this paper
• From 5G-Advanced to 6G in 2030: New Services, 3GPP Advances, and Enabling Technologies

  2024cites this paper
• RETRACTED ARTICLE: Knowledge-Driven Logistics Transformation: Complex Networks and UAVs in Distribution

  2024cites this paper
• Policy Challenges for Coordinated Delivery of Trucks and Drones

  2024cites this paper
• Assessing the feasibility of last-mile delivery alternatives using fuzzy AHP in the Indian Urban Context

  2024cites this paper
• Towards Efficient Collaborative Delivery Solutions Using Drones and Ground Transportation: A Review

  2024cites this paper
• Improving Radiometric Block Adjustment for UAV Multispectral Imagery under Variable Illumination Conditions

  2024cites this paper
• Efficient Strategies for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flights: Analyzing Battery Life and Operational Performance in Delivery Services Using Stochastic Models

  2024cites this paper
• Drone-Assisted Multimodal Logistics: Trends and Research Issues

  2024cites this paper
• Optimum Configuration for Hovering n-Quadrotors carrying a Slung Payload

  2024cites this paper
• Urban Air Logistics with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): Double-Chromosome Genetic Task Scheduling with Safe Route Planning

  2024cites this paper
• Parcel Delivery Using Drones in the Presence of Obstacles

  2024cites this paper
• The Operation Method of Hybrid Power Supply System Combining Lithium Polymer Battery and Supercapacitor for Industrial Drones

  2023cites this paper
• Air pollution forecasting based on wireless communications: review

  2023cites this paper
• Utilization of Aerial Drone Technology in Logistics

  2023influential citation
• Drone-Based Delivery Systems: A Survey on Route Planning

  2023cites this paper
• Analysis and Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Urban Residents’ Acceptance of Routine Drone Deliveries

  2023cites this paper
• Development of Heuristic Approaches for Last-Mile Delivery TSP with a Truck and Multiple Drones

  2023cites this paper
• An Agent-based 3D Urban Air Network for the Freight Distribution Problem

  year unknowncites this paper
• OPTIMIZING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE FOR FOOD DELIVERY THROUGH VEHICLE ROUTING PROBLEM: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THREE DELIVERY SYSTEMS

  year unknowncites this paper