Amazon's Drones (1 Viewer)

[Ned]

I had heard about their theory of doing delivery with drones, but it looks like they're really taking this seriously.  

New patent for floating warehouse where drones will dispatch with your shipment almost instantly.  The mock up is pretty cool.  http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/29/amazon-flying-warehouse-deploy-delivery-drones-patent.html

 

[Max Power]

FAA regulations will kill this.  It is really opening a pandora's box if they go ahead with it.

 

[Max Power]

So just for conversation.... you own your property.  How far up and how far down does that ownership go? 

 

[Ned]

So just for conversation.... you own your property.  How far up and how far down does that ownership go? 

That's a good question.  Are all of the planes flying over my house invading my territory?  

 

[James Daulton]

That's a good question.  Are all of the planes flying over my house invading my territory?  

This Airspace Owned By Nedco tm

 

[Max Power]

That's a good question.  Are all of the planes flying over my house invading my territory?  

Its going to take a while to play out. A homeowner is entitled to his privacy. Flying drones over a back yard complicate things.

 

[Johnny Bing]

So just for conversation.... you own your property.  How far up and how far down does that ownership go? 

According to this article the federal government says 500 feet, but the supreme court has not weighed in.  they say anywhere from 50 to 500, but federal is considering lowering the 500.  

 

[culdeus]

I guess the legal question is, if you shoot down a drone below the hard deck do you get to keep the loot?

 

[Max Power]

I guess the legal question is, if you shoot down a drone below the hard deck do you get to keep the loot?

I call it sky fishing

 

[Ned]

I guess the legal question is, if you shoot down a drone below the hard deck do you get to keep the loot?

Are you a good enough shot to hit a moving target in the air without hitting the loot?

 

[Max Power]

Are you a good enough shot to hit a moving target in the air without hitting the loot?

only one way to find out

 

[sho nuff]

I guess the legal question is, if you shoot down a drone below the hard deck do you get to keep the loot?

No, no..,below the hard deck doesn't count. /slider

 

[roadkill1292]

Are you a good enough shot to hit a moving target in the air without hitting the loot?

A moving target maybe 500 feet in the air. It'll be pretty much of an accident if one even notices it, which brings about its own issues of privacy violation, of course. It's also possible that they'll be programmed to follow the roadways which generally doesn't add substantially to the trip length. One more possibility is that the delivery trucks will drive to a location within reach of several order destinations and launch a small fleet of drones or wheeled bots from the truck. Extends the program's reach and still reduces vehicle expenses.

 

[EYLive]

I didn't read the article but they've already tested this in England and it was successful.

I can't wait to be a drone pirate! 

 

[Peak]

Amazon...Lord of the Zeppelins!!!

 

[James Daulton]

This whole idea is dumb and will never become mainstream. 

 

[fantasycurse42]

This whole idea is dumb and will never become mainstream. 

 

[James Daulton]

We'll see.  You can feel free to bump this when drones stop dropping off packages like war of the worlds. 

 

[Jayrod]

This whole idea is dumb and will never become mainstream. 

Yeah, and that whole "smart phone" fad will never last.

 

[mquinnjr]

This whole idea is dumb and will never become mainstream. 

Amazon will never be anything more than an online bookseller!

 

[Max Power]

This whole idea is dumb and will never become mainstream. 

It's a lot further away than people seem to think.

 

[AAABatteries]

This whole idea is dumb and will never become mainstream. 

Why do you think this?  Will there be a cheaper/faster alternative?  If so, what do you envision that being?

 

[James Daulton]

It's a lot further away than people seem to think.

Uh oh, prepare for FC42's rolling smiley retort. 

 

[James Daulton]

Why do you think this?  Will there be a cheaper/faster alternative?  If so, what do you envision that being?

Mainly for the reasons many have already talked about.  Ease of stealing the things.  The varying weights of the packages, what if it rains or is windy?  What's the range on these drones?  The whole idea imho is dumb.

 

[mr. furley]

So just for conversation.... you own your property.  How far up and how far down does that ownership go? 

stops at the top of your roof/antenna/weather vane?

 

[culdeus]

Some crap I don't even ask for rush delivery they are putting on my doorstep on the same day.  

I can't see how a drone improves this versus the risks of it getting caught in a tree or something.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Uh oh, prepare for FC42's rolling smiley retort. 

Ummm no, I'm well aware it isn't on the calendar for 2017 or 2019. Your quote said "never." Trump also hates Bezos, so I'd anticipate huge roadblocks for the next 4 or 8 years - but 10 or 20 years from now, no question about it. I prefer driving, but your Uber ride will be an empty front seat at that time too.

If you disagree, go pick up your rotary phone, dial 411, and ask them for the number of your nearest Blockbuster Video so you can rent a VHS.

 

[Johnny Bing]

Mainly for the reasons many have already talked about.  Ease of stealing the things.  The varying weights of the packages, what if it rains or is windy?  What's the range on these drones?  The whole idea imho is dumb.

I get notifications all the time at my work that UPS will be delayed one business day due to weather.  I'd imagine same situation with a drone delivery. 

Ease of stealing things I understand, but right now packages are left at my front door from UPS.  Someone could walk off with them any time.  

I think there will be plenty of hurdles in this service, but many of them are already fought in today's shipping methods. 

 

[AAABatteries]

Some crap I don't even ask for rush delivery they are putting on my doorstep on the same day.  

I can't see how a drone improves this versus the risks of it getting caught in a tree or something.

I don't know a lot about the topic but as with most anything if they can do it and it's cheaper then they'll try it.  They want to get rid of the drivers - driverless vehicles gets you to the house but then you need something to get it to the door - I could see this working in conjugation with regular deliveries - especially for less populated areas.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Amazon will never be anything more than an online bookseller a dot.com darling with no profits!

 

[James Daulton]

Ummm no, I'm well aware it isn't on the calendar for 2017 or 2019. Your quote said "never." Trump also hates Bezos, so I'd anticipate huge roadblocks for the next 4 or 8 years - but 10 or 20 years from now, no question about it. I prefer driving, but your Uber ride will be an empty front seat at that time too.

If you disagree, go pick up your rotary phone, dial 411, and ask them for the number of your nearest Blockbuster Video so you can rent a VHS.

Maybe in many decades but I doubt sooner.  Right now drones can carry one package.  Someone has to fly said drones.  We currently can cram a million packages into one truck with one driver.  I don't see how drones can top that economy of scale with current or near future tech.  Sure I could be wrong but many thought we'd have B2TF hoverboards now too. 

 

[Hilts]

They got a patent for this? That seems absurd. 

 

[James Daulton]

We should place a fun little wager on this.  Establish some odds tied to something like % of Amazon's deliveries delivered by drone.  Most of us have been here long enough that there's a good chance we'll still be here.

Say for example, I'd bet that fewer than 25% of Amazon's deliveries are droned delivered within the next 10 years.  We could even put a sliding scale on the payout according to time.

 

[culdeus]

We should place a fun little wager on this.  Establish some odds tied to something like % of Amazon's deliveries delivered by drone.  Most of us have been here long enough that there's a good chance we'll still be here.

Say for example, I'd bet that fewer than 25% of Amazon's deliveries are droned delivered within the next 10 years.  We could even put a sliding scale on the payout according to time.

I don't even think they say it will be anywhere close to that.  I think their goal is closer to 0.25% than 25%.  The weight of most items makes this extremely unlikely.  

 

[James Daulton]

I don't even think they say it will be anywhere close to that.  I think their goal is closer to 0.25% than 25%.  The weight of most items makes this extremely unlikely.  

Really?  I though the intention was that this would become their main method of delivery?  For smaller stuff anyway.  If not, why all the hullabaloo?  WGAF is they deliver .5% of their stuff with drones in a decade?

 

[Brony]

I bet in 25 or 30 years, they'll invent a small camera for these drones to catch these drone shooters. 

 

[squidrope]

X2

 

[fantasycurse42]

Someone has to fly said drones.   

 

[Max Power]

I bet in 25 or 30 years, they'll invent a small camera for these drones to catch these drone shooters. 

Shooting at Drones is going to be the new hotness.  I can't wait.

 

[msommer]

This whole idea is dumb and will never become mainstream. 

Don't know about that biut there are several very practical problems they are nowhere near solving before it could become more than a curiosity

 

[James Daulton]

How will the drones get there?  GPS doesn't account for power lines, style of house, is there a pool, etc.

You're making it seem far simpler than it is. 

 

[Ned]

How will the drones get there?  GPS doesn't account for power lines, style of house, is there a pool, etc.

You're making it seem far simpler than it is. 

Doesn't all of that tech already exist in airplanes that detects these sorts of things?

i could also see Amazon selling a hotspot or whatever with a chip to tell the drone exactly where to leave the package at your house. 

 

[msommer]

Doesn't all of that tech already exist in airplanes that detects these sorts of things?

i could also see Amazon selling a hotspot or whatever with a chip to tell the drone exactly where to leave the package at your house. 

Amazon is prioneering this in the UK (test phase) and in the automation thread I posted their little video of it IIRC.

Serious practical issues to be addressed, such as where to put the package, how to acknowledge receipt, interaction with/detection of other drones and obviously oyther animate and inanimate obstacles in the flightpath. Then there are the physical restrictions as to package size, and obviously the energy/economic efficiency of the delivery method compared to competing modes.  The list goes on and on

 

[Galileo]

Seems they also have a patent for underwater warehouses.  I can just picture the future:  "Sorry, Mr Galileo.  It seems your Dot was eaten by a tuna.  We'll float another one to you right away."