A systematic review and morphological analysis of the literature on last mile delivery using drones: Quo vadis?

Rohit, G., Krishnan, R., & Ram Kumar, P. N. · 2025

citation-level

A review filed so that a count of gaps is not read as the number of things the world does not know. One hundred seventy-six is the cell count of their morphological matrix. First published online on 22 April 2025. If a volume date says 2026, prefer the DOI.

The abstract says they ran a systematic review and a morphological analysis of drone last-mile delivery and built a conceptual frame of seven dimensions and thirty-seven variants. The dimensions they name are customer expectations, distribution mode, inventory planning, returns handling, geographical scope, stakeholders, and desired outcomes. Their variance-intersection matrix, they write, revealed 176 research gaps.

One hundred seventy-six is the set of empty combinations in the dimensions they cut. Change the cut and the number changes. The authors' claim that the frame helps managers and policymakers see the whole is a different sentence from a flight permit or a measured cost. The matrix was not recomputed.