Hitchhiking Drones

And had mentioned this novel idea as well in a recent post.  Also covered in considerable detail in IEEE Spectrum.  As noted will require some considerable design changes for public Transportation.

Delivery Drones Could Hitchhike on Public Transit to Massively Expand Their Range.  Riding on the top of public buses could make drone delivery much more efficient .... "

By Evan Ackerman in IEEE Spectrum.  ... 

Delivery Drones will be taking the Bus?

Clever proposal for integrating transport, lowering energy costs.  Adds complexity to bus capabilities.

Stanford Lab Envisions Delivery Drones That Save Energy by Taking the Bus
VentureBeat
By Khari Johnson in ACM

In an effort to redesign urban package delivery, researchers in Stanford University's Intelligent Systems Laboratory and Autonomous Systems Lab developed a methodology that allows delivery drones to access buses or trams, which could reduce traffic congestion and energy consumption while allowing the drones to travel farther. The artificial intelligence network underlying this system, which can accommodate up to 200 drones delivering up to 5,000 packages, was designed for cities with up to 8,000 stops. The approach is aimed at minimizing the time required to complete a delivery, according to the researchers, who added that it “can achieve significant commercial benefits and social impact.”  ... '