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.
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.
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.
