Amazon drones.

[Greyfox51]

Originally perceived to be just an April Fool leg-pull, it looks as though Amazon is set to invest in and further develop this side of their business...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30036128

 

[GoodnNuff]

I've always taken Amazon's intent to fly drones as a serious endeavor.

 

[N017RW]

I didn't read the article but I know they are building a large research center in the states and looking to get FAA authorization for (outdoor) testing.

They were also testing in India to skirt the US regs. but India has since shutdown all such operations.

 

[Greyfox51]

Well, Amazon clearly views it as serious endeavour, but one that is hobbled with exactly the same problem as the rest of us, that being the limitations imposed by the presently available power supply. If that problem can be solved via developing technology, well, I guess the sky's the limit.

I personally think this is very good news and a possible game-changer, albeit in its infancy; if more big companies like Amazon become involved in the commercial development of drones and quadcopters, it can only result in a certain amount of respectability rubbing off on the rest of us.

 

[Rich Z]

Can someone explain to me exactly how this would work in Bezos World? An automated drone carrying package dropping it off on my porch? I live in a heavily wooded area including my property so any drone trying to get to my porch is going to have an interesting trip. Just drop the package in my yard somewhere using GPS coordinates? Yeah, sure would do me a lot of good having a package up in a tree somewhere or sitting on top of my carport or garage.

And each drone would carry a separate package? How much range will those drones have? How many launching sites would that involve to even cover a single county? How many drones will have to be in the air at any given time to make all the promised deliveries, say right before Christmas? Will they need a remote pilot for each delivery? Yeah, that will be efficient and cost effective.

Honestly, if Jeff Bezos IS serious about this he should be Baker Acted. I think all his money got stacked too high and fell over hitting him right square on the head.

IMHO, of course.

 

[GoodnNuff]

The plan has always had limitations. The drone service will only be available in limited urban areas, and delivery will be restricted to packages weighing 5 lbs or less and addresses within 5 miles of the fulfillment centers. Amazon says 80% of their deliveries are parcels weighing less than 5 lbs. Amazon is rolling out their "same day delivery" service here in the Seattle area, and I imagine that drone delivery would be an important part of that service in the future, perhaps even with a prime shipping fee.
if I don't remember if it was Google or Amazon's drone promo that shows the recipient getting a text that his drone delivery has arrived in his driveway.

 

[SteveMann]

You guys just have no vision, do you.
If you were designing drones we would still be winding up the rubber band to fly.

Google is getting into this game as well. They recently signed a lease with NASA to refurbish and occupy the large blimp hangar at Moffett Field (California) and 1,000 acres of property. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26910584/google-take-over-much-moffett-field-restore-hanger. Hangar one is big enough that you can take off a Cessna 150 then land and come to a stop without opening the hangar door.

For two years, the company has been working to build flying robots that can deliver products across a city in a minute or two. http://www.theatlantic.com/technolo...googles-secret-drone-delivery-program/379306/

Google and Amazon didn't invest Billions of dollars if they don't think there's a future in delivery by drone.

Here's a likely future that will happen in less than ten years. Imagine, Amazon has a distribution warehouse near a city center, and satellite storefront facilities 5 to 10 miles away. A customer makes an order to be delivered by drone, he gets into his car to drive to the storefront. At the same time the drone leaves the warehouse roof for the storefront roof. By the time the buyer gets to the Amazon store to pick up the order, the drone should be arriving with the order. The store person replaces the battery and coordinates with the warehouse for a return time slot and sends the drone back. It will probably be a $50 to $100 per pound delivery charge to pay for the infrastructure, but there's plenty of people who would pay that. It's probably cheaper than a courier service. (Hmmm another potential drone delivery service?)

Delivery to the driveway is a bit further in the future because Amazon or Drone-Ex will want to control the LZ.

 

[Rich Z]

Got plenty of vision.... None of them very pretty along this line of thinking, actually. Just because you get a real nice pretty little hammer to play with doesn't make every problem a nail.

Not saying it won't happen, but I doubt it CAN until some substantial artificial intelligence and needed sensors for collision avoidance and redundant systems for failure recovery can be put into a small drone package. Otherwise each and every drone is going to need a PERSON at the wheel for at least some portion of the delivery process.

 

[PsychopathRC]

You never know. We could be offered jobs at Amazon in future

 

[Mopar Bob]

Well, I think there will be a lot of people enhancing their drone parts inventory after every delivery. Oh jeez, the drone didn't return, I wonder what happened?

 

[GoodnNuff]

Well, I think there will be a lot of people enhancing their drone parts inventory after every delivery. Oh jeez, the drone didn't return, I wonder what happened?

I imagine the consequences will be the same as when the pizza delivery driver doesn't make it out of your house after delivering the pizza, or if the UPS/FedEx/USPS drivers have their delivery vehicle stolen or vandalized when making a delivery to you.

 

[Mopar Bob]

I know you are right about the consequences, its just there are bound to be some people that see high jacking an unmanned 1 foot machine that landed in their front yard easier than stealing a delivery truck. Anyway, I still think all this Amazon stuff is still a pipe dream. Just this evening there were 2 separate reports on national news about drones intercepting jets at JFK. In another case one drone almost hit a jet at 3000 feet. All those idiots pulling off those stunts are not only going to hurt the hobby but it will also hurt any commercial use of drones. Anyway, that's just my opinion.

 

[GoodnNuff]

I know you are right about the consequences, its just there are bound to be some people that see high jacking an unmanned 1 foot machine that landed in their front yard easier than stealing a delivery truck. Anyway, I still think all this Amazon stuff is still a pipe dream. Just this evening there were 2 separate reports on national news about drones intercepting jets at JFK. In another case one drone almost hit a jet at 3000 feet. All those idiots pulling off those stunts are not only going to hurt the hobby but it will also hurt any commercial use of drones. Anyway, that's just my opinion.

yeah, I imagine they will have GPS trackers on each one just in case someone tries to hijack it. And I'm sure there will be people who try.

 

[SteveMann]

Got plenty of vision....

Then why can't you see beyond today's technology? The UAE is sponsoring a contest with a $1 Million dollar prize for the team that can design a safe and accurate drone delivery system. Here's a video of the winning entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aru-pIR_G3U#t=13

 

[Prylar Bek]

Too cumbersome. Sorry. This will not end well

 

[BuzzBuzzZoomZoom]

All one would have to do would be to purposefully (or even not) walk into a drone as it's landing, or taking off. Get sliced up a bunch, sue Amazon, profit.

Sure, most rational people wouldn't do that to themselves for a payday...but there are certainly people that have nothing else to lose and would happily go to the Emergency Room for a large paycheck from Amazon.

 

[Mopar Bob]

Got plenty of vision....

Then why can't you see beyond today's technology? The UAE is sponsoring a contest with a $1 Million dollar prize for the team that can design a safe and accurate drone delivery system. Here's a video of the winning entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aru-pIR_G3U#t=13

There are so many issues that would need be resolved that I don't see it in my life time. Battery life, safety issues, complaints over the constant humming of the drones. No way. Amazon will go broke trying to fix it and pay off the lawsuits. Besides, why not go all the way and use the Star Trek method: "beam me up scotty". I think that has a better chance of really working.

 

[ianwood]

Google's interest in drones is everything but delivery at this point. If you think delivery by drone is interesting, what Google is looking at is pretty amazing.

 

[GoodnNuff]

Google's interest in drones is everything but delivery at this point. If you think delivery by drone is interesting, what Google is looking at is pretty amazing.

Google has also designed a pretty cool delivery drone that lowers the parcel via a tether. It doesn't actually land.

 

[GoodnNuff]

Got plenty of vision....

Then why can't you see beyond today's technology? The UAE is sponsoring a contest with a $1 Million dollar prize for the team that can design a safe and accurate drone delivery system. Here's a video of the winning entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aru-pIR_G3U#t=13

There are so many issues that would need be resolved that I don't see it in my life time. Battery life, safety issues, complaints over the constant humming of the drones. No way. Amazon will go broke trying to fix it and pay off the lawsuits. Besides, why not go all the way and use the Star Trek method: "beam me up scotty". I think that has a better chance of really working.

Starting this spring in the UK:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ngars.html