Drone Delivery Noise Pollution Issues Create Market for Quieter Technologies
As services like Manna become more common, real-world issues such as noise pollution are becoming a major concern for communities. This creates opportunities for drone manufacturers to innovate and develop quieter propulsion and flight systems, and for acoustic engineering firms to provide noise reduction solutions. Companies that effectively tackle and market their solutions to noise pollution can set themselves apart and boost public acceptance of drone delivery services.
Origin Reddit Post
r/futurology
Delivery drones everywhere is a standard part of the sci-fi future; for one part of Dublin, the reality is unbearable noise pollution.
Posted by u/lughnasadh•06/02/2025
Blanchardstown, in the west of Dublin, is the base for an Irish drone company, Manna, that mainly delivers takeaway meals. Customers seem to like it. Their food arrives much quicker than othe
Top Comments
u/My_Soul_to_Squeeze
I'm a part 107 pilot that builds and flies drones for a living. I'm familiar with the regulations. Drones do not in fact need to descend to deliver their payload. Companies like Zipline have
u/revolution2018
I can't wait for drone delivery to take off in the US. Whoever gets drone delivery to my doorstep first gets my money!
u/seanie_h
I live in the Dublin 15 area. The drones are quite quiet. More like a helicopter. No high pitch whirred like hobby drones.
Surprisingly enough, Dublin 15 has seen a huge drop in aircraft b
u/ptrnyc
I think they meant it is composed of 2 noise sources - one lower frequency part (low enough to be heard as a sine wave) and a high frequency, buzzing part
u/Sirisian
Seems like their technology is more primitive than other drone delivery companies. Wing, Zipline, and others tackled these issues and continue to improve noise levels.
u/ExoticMangoz
Noise pollution is a huge problem. We need to reduce it, not worsen it.
u/bunchalingo
I love technology, but I’m finding myself more and more against adaptation if it doesn’t lead in deduction of other wasteful means and solutions.
For example more robust communal logistics a
u/TheHaloDude
lol are you part of r/hoboken?
u/Tha_Watcher
This would be so damn annoying to me, and I'm sure at some point it will make its way over to my state to my extreme chagrin!
u/ExoticMangoz
Noise pollution is a huge problem. We need to reduce it, not worsen it.
u/hatred-shapped
Hoboken is a shit hole. It's filled with aging hipsters and wannabe influencers.
Plus it's in New Jersey. Eeww
u/beastpilot
In the USA, cruise altitude is limited by law, and one might notice that a delivery drone must descend in a residential area to actually deliver something.
u/beastpilot
In the USA, cruise altitude is limited by law, and one might notice that a delivery drone must descend in a residential area to actually deliver something.
u/My_Soul_to_Squeeze
Toroidal props and higher cruise altitude. No reason why noise regs should be a show stopper.
u/PsykeonOfficial
I'm sure my American neighbors will turn these noisy drones into the clay pigeons of the future
u/Sirisian
[Older video is here from Wing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF1VXd4Fr40). Tested visited Wing and was walked through some of [their testing setups](https://youtu.be/_BXm6dTHvY0?t=1220). S
u/EequalsMC2Trooper
I feel stupid... how is 200-600Hz between 2-6k? "Blue shifted" on approach?
u/ZenithBlade101
Yeah, I feel this as well, I hear drones sometimes in my area and it's super annoying hearing that painfully loud screeching hum that they make. We need to figure out a way to make them eithe
u/EequalsMC2Trooper
I feel stupid... how is 200-600Hz between 2-6k? "Blue shifted" on approach?
u/H0vis
The company in the article is using noisy drones. That's a choice. They don't need to make much sound at all.
u/cthulhu-wallis
I wonder how much it will cost companies to have licences for so many drones.
And how they’ll keep things safe in cities.
u/hatred-shapped
That's always been my #1 argument against delivery drones and flying cars. Helicopters are awesome, but they are so good damn loud
u/ZenithBlade101
Yeah, I feel this as well, I hear drones sometimes in my area and it's super annoying hearing that painfully loud screeching hum that they make. We need to figure out a way to make them eithe
u/TheHaloDude
lol are you part of r/hoboken?
u/PunR0cker
If its mainly used for delivery takeaway meals, how do you keep it away from residential areas?
u/ThatNextAggravation
I thought the main problem was that they have their drone hub near a residental area, which leads to a concetration of flight paths around that (otherwise, it's hard to imagine 12 drones per
u/smellybung12
Lmao, figure out the issue first? At least in my country(US) capital creates “solutions,” riddled with “problems,” and leaves it to the taxpayers and government to fix those problems. Then
u/H0vis
The company in the article is using noisy drones. That's a choice. They don't need to make much sound at all.
u/Tha_Watcher
This would be so damn annoying to me, and I'm sure at some point it will make its way over to my state to my extreme chagrin!
u/ThatNextAggravation
Sounds super-annoying. Let's hope regulation catches up to move these away from residential areas and noise levels can be reduced, because the technology is quite useful for many applications
u/PunR0cker
Do you have any more information or evidence on that?
u/Underwater_Karma
I participated in a test run of Amazon delivery drones. They came out to my house and set up some target pads and did a few test takeoff and landings.
The drone was the size of a small ref
u/seanie_h
I live in the Dublin 15 area. The drones are quite quiet. More like a helicopter. No high pitch whirred like hobby drones.
Surprisingly enough, Dublin 15 has seen a huge drop in aircraft b
u/ptrnyc
I think they meant it is composed of 2 noise sources - one lower frequency part (low enough to be heard as a sine wave) and a high frequency, buzzing part
u/Sirisian
Seems like their technology is more primitive than other drone delivery companies. Wing, Zipline, and others tackled these issues and continue to improve noise levels.
u/deZbrownT
He is saying, get rid of meal delivery and use the technology for something else outside residential areas.
u/oli_ramsay
Mkbhd slowed one on his channel where the drone stays flying really high and the delivery box drops down on a rope, then winches itself back up afterwards. You couldn't really hear the drone
u/smellybung12
Lmao, figure out the issue first? At least in my country(US) capital creates “solutions,” riddled with “problems,” and leaves it to the taxpayers and government to fix those problems. Then
u/PsykeonOfficial
I'm sure my American neighbors will turn these noisy drones into the clay pigeons of the future
u/ultra_bright
Clearly zeppelin drones are the solution.
u/newtoon
You don't even have to get to odd props, just multiply the number of blades https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPoTQZOZczg
If they don't do it, it's because it's less efficient so less flight
u/hatred-shapped
That's always been my #1 argument against delivery drones and flying cars. Helicopters are awesome, but they are so good damn loud
u/ultra_bright
Clearly zeppelin drones are the solution.
u/My_Soul_to_Squeeze
Toroidal props and higher cruise altitude. No reason why noise regs should be a show stopper.
u/deZbrownT
He is saying, get rid of meal delivery and use the technology for something else outside residential areas.
u/Tha_Watcher
This would be so damn annoying to me, and I'm sure at some point it will make its way over to my state to my extreme chagrin!
u/ledewde__
"Kirov reporting"
u/smellybung12
Lmao, figure out the issue first? At least in my country(US) capital creates “solutions,” riddled with “problems,” and leaves it to the taxpayers and government to fix those problems. Then
u/PunR0cker
If its mainly used for delivery takeaway meals, how do you keep it away from residential areas?
u/ThatNextAggravation
Sounds super-annoying. Let's hope regulation catches up to move these away from residential areas and noise levels can be reduced, because the technology is quite useful for many applications
u/Underwater_Karma
I participated in a test run of Amazon delivery drones. They came out to my house and set up some target pads and did a few test takeoff and landings.
The drone was the size of a small ref
u/My_Soul_to_Squeeze
I'm a part 107 pilot that builds and flies drones for a living. I'm familiar with the regulations. Drones do not in fact need to descend to deliver their payload. Companies like Zipline have