Use of autonomous vehicles and drones expected to rise in US transportation industry

A recent B2B technology survey by ABI Research of 455 US-based companies across nine verticals finds that 30 per cent of transportation industry respondents plan to introduce robotics into their business operations within the next year, with another 22 per cent actively assessing the technology. Despite notable near-term progress in robotics deployments among the respondents to support e-commerce and delivery growth, their lack of familiarity with nascent technologies such as AR, blockchain, 5G, autonomous
August 4, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

A recent B2B technology survey by 5725 ABI Research of 455 US-based companies across nine verticals finds that 30 per cent of transportation industry respondents plan to introduce robotics into their business operations within the next year, with another 22 per cent actively assessing the technology. Despite notable near-term progress in robotics deployments among the respondents to support e-commerce and delivery growth, their lack of familiarity with nascent technologies such as AR, blockchain, 5G, autonomous vehicles, AI, and the related ecosystem for transportation technologies is impacting potential adoption.

"Transportation providers may view intelligent transportation technologies as solutions to evolve their existing transportation operations versus opportunities for developing new revenue streams and business models," says Susan Beardslee, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. "These players also show concern for legacy systems integration and comprehension of the complexity/fragmentation of their supply chain."

Survey respondents find that intelligent transportation technology benefits are frequently linked to promoting workforce collaboration, centralised IT and operations frameworks, as well as workforce mobility. Primary barriers to adoption include data security and privacy concerns, alignment with existing legacy framework, and associated costs of technology adoption. Respondents also expect limited impact of delivery drones over the next two years; 40 per cent do not see a role for this in their businesses within that timeframe. 

"The results deliver validation that notable challenges remain to digitise, automate, and transform the transportation industry, especially with the very long tail of owner-operators and small fleets," concludes Beardslee. "Support of emerging technologies draws mixed reactions, with Over the Air building awareness. But respondents still see other compelling technologies, such as gateways, as nascent to the transportation industry. We expect to see this increase soon to effectively link vehicles and assets to operations."

Location Based Systems

Related Content

  • April 17, 2012
    ITS industry in the US has grown to $48 billion and will expand
    ITS America has released what it says is the most comprehensive study to date on the scope of the ITS industry in the United States and North America. Researchers found intelligent transportation to be a fast growing sector valued at approximately US$48 billion. Results indicate that cities and states with drastically reduced budgets are turning to technology solutions to maximize existing highway capacity.
    Read More
  • April 19, 2012
    Connected navigation more popular than social media and radio streaming
    In a new ABI Research connected car consumer survey, 1,500 respondents in the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, and China were asked about their use (and non-use) of several services available to the ‘connected car.’ Among those who do not currently use any infotainment services, connected navigation was named as the most desired infotainment service by between 59 per cent and 72 per cent (extremely/very interested) in all countries except China, where the greatest interest was in concierge services.
    Read More
  • January 10, 2017
    Owning a car will be a thing of the past in less than a decade, say researchers
    UK automotive executives expect that more than half of today’s car owners will not want to own a car in less than a decade, according to KPMG’s Global Automotive Executive Survey 2017. The survey found that 74 per cent of UK automotive executives think that until 2025, more than half of car owners today will not want to own a vehicle, as self-driving technology and mobility as a service will take priority. The report findings revealed that 62 per cent of UK automotive executives view diesel technolog
    Read More
  • August 20, 2012
    Qualcomm in pole position in ABI Research’s commercial telematics competitive assessment
    Qualcomm Enterprise Services (QES) has been named the leading commercial telematics service provider (TSP) in the latest competitive assessment released by ABI Research. The company’s global reach, dominant market share, and intuitive product range were all fundamental to securing the top spot. Telogis, Trimble, Masternaut, and Xata complete the top five.
    Read More

Highlighted Content