If we really can crack automated delivery it will drastically change our economy, I think it would be hard to dispute that. The whole idea of a "retail store" makes less and less sense as delivery costs fall.<p>And I'm pretty sure we'll eventually crack automated delivery, but as they mention, the problem is that existing buildings are not configured for it and it will take a long time for them to get reconfigured, particularly since apartment entrances/roofs, etc are all shared resources.<p>The author's company, Savioke, seems to be targeting hotels, which certainly makes sense as a go to market strategy, but further reinforces how this would likely struggle in more typical settings for the foreseeable future.