AIr Runner
This video is one of the outcomes of a research and development project commissioned by Postnord and Telia. The project aimed to explore the possibilities and challenges of using autonomous drones for delivery in remote areas, leveraging mobile 4G and 5G network connectivity. Various scenarios, representing different business models and stakeholder interactions, were staged to visualize the multiple opportunities that new technologies can enable. For example, the video above illustrates a potential peer-to-peer (P2P) interaction model that could benefit local businesses and households in rural areas.
Given the project's limited budget, both the technological and aesthetic aspects were intentionally simplified. The primary goal of staging and rehearsing these scenarios was not merely to prove engineering feasibility or the quality of the outcomes. Instead, it focused on prototyping concepts, challenging existing assumptions, and questioning preconceived ideas. Through this staging process, opportunities and challenges surrounding the future deployment and interaction of automated systems in their real-world contexts quickly emerged. This approach provided the audience —a diverse group of professionals from various disciplines and backgrounds— with valuable insights into what it truly means to make an autonomous machine operate "in the wild." It highlighted the social, technical, and regulatory challenges involved, while also offering a foundation for evaluating future directions and roadmaps.
