Amazon unveils 30-minute delivery by drone, hopes to launch in 2015
173 replies, posted
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98BIu9dpwHU[/media]
[url]http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8037720011[/url]
[quote]We're excited to share Prime Air — something the team has been working on in our next generation R&D lab.
The goal of this new delivery system is to get packages into customers' hands in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehicles.
Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as we advance the technology and wait for the necessary FAA rules and regulations.[/quote]
Oh my god yes
We're living in the future
A lot has to be taken into consideration for this to function properly.
If you can knock them out of the air they're like the gift balloons in animal crossing
Goddamn, Amazon; leave my wallet alone!
On a more serious note; I can't fucking wait. The first time this service becomes available, I can already imagine waiting for half an hour like a giddy school girl waiting for the drone to arrive.
Would problems arise with storms and rain? Or even high winds?
I wonder how much they'll charge on launch
(this post originally said some shit about porches but I deleted it but then someone quoted it so that's what happened there)
An Australian uni beat them by a few months.
Good to see it go commercial.
I can also see an issue with the containers, I assume Amazon [I]wants them back[/I] which means posting them to them otherwise we'll end up with piles of plastic containers and Amazon having to make more and more which isn't a good thing.
Fuck. My coworker called this three years ago and said it would be done within 8 years. I said 20. Fuck.
Gonna order a bag of poop and drop it on the doorsteps of internet trolls >:)
[QUOTE=smurfy;43041256]I wonder how it's going to know exactly where to put the thing? You can tell it to go to an address but how does it figure out where the garden/porch is
Edit: Wait it's almost certainly going to be remote controlled, not automated. Im dumb[/QUOTE]
The algorithm would probably be pretty complex given that porches come in all different varieties, it'd probably be easier to try and look for the front door instead since they usually have pretty consistent sizes. Probably be similar to how google identifies license plates or people's faces.
Assuming it's automated, which would be even more badass
[QUOTE='[sluggo];43041255']Would problems arise with storms and rain? Or even high winds?[/QUOTE]
I think they'd take that into consideration. They'll either not use them on super strong winds, or make it so that they can still function under those conditions (and they will test that, obviously).
[QUOTE=TravisG;43041282]The algorithm would probably be pretty complex given that porches come in all different varieties, it'd probably be easier to try and look for the front door instead since they usually have pretty consistent sizes. Probably be similar to how google identifies license plates or people's faces.[/QUOTE]
I think you give it GPS coordinates. Those are pretty accurate, no? (from what I read it's 7.8 meters range for error)
[QUOTE=Reagy;43041271]I can also see an issue with the containers, I assume Amazon [I]wants them back[/I] which means posting them to them otherwise we'll end up with piles of plastic containers and Amazon having to make more and more which isn't a good thing.[/QUOTE]
Or you could have the drone wait for the recipient to retrieve their package from the container then put it back onto the drone. The drone would then waste time, So it would probably do them better to come up with a method of using a more disposable container.
It is really cool. But how effective is it? I can't imagine the batteries lasting very long before the need to recharge. And the fact that it only carries one package.
What about apartment buildings? Would you have to stand outside waiting for 30 mins?
[QUOTE=Swebonny;43041290]It is really cool. But how effective is it? I can't imagine the batteries lasting very long before the need to recharge.[/QUOTE]
Probably going to be expensive as shit to make up the costs to keep it running.
[QUOTE=NuggetWarmer;43041316]What about apartment buildings? Would you have to stand outside waiting for 30 mins?[/QUOTE]
If this got big, buildings could have drop boxes or something for the drones to put stuff in
what if someone steals takes the drone and the package?
what if somebody just keeps ordering things, waits in a bush and tackles the drones
e: me and the dude above me think alike
[QUOTE=Lurklet;43041339]what if someone steals takes the drone and the package?[/QUOTE]
Drone will be fully armed to prevent this
Probably a PR stunt related to the recent BBC report.
[QUOTE=.FLAP.JACK.DAN.;43041327]Probably going to be expensive as shit to make up the costs to keep it running.[/QUOTE]
They are unmanned. The costs of building new drones/recharging are probably lower than the costs of having a person deliver it.
So if you could order a drone with it, would there be an option for it to ship itself?
[QUOTE=Sergeant Turtle;43041246]If you can knock them out of the air they're like the gift balloons in animal crossing[/QUOTE]
The sad part is I wouldn't be surprised if people started doing this, the drones would have to be fast, fast enough to avoid someone being able to see it and then react to grabbing whatever device they have to take them down.
If I was Amazon I would also fit them with GPS/Accelerometer and it would set off an alarm the second it goes out of it's path or slows down when it's no suppose too, as soon the alarm goes off a team is sent out to retrieve the drone or figure out what went wrong.
I wouldn't be surprised if some idiot decides to stick their fingers in the blades and tries to sue amazon.
What's to stop people taking the drones??
[QUOTE=The Ultimate;43041387]What's to stop people taking the drones??[/QUOTE]
They have your address I think it's safe to say that the people having something delivered to them wouldn't steal the drone unless they're stupid.
Shooting down or taking the drones and contents would be the legal equivalent of disabling a delivery truck and stealing it's contents.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.