Amazon testing drones for deliveries

scott_e · Post by **scott_e** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 1:19 pm

Civilian air space is expected to be opened up to all kinds of drones in the US by 2015 and in Europe by 2016.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25180906

I love technology ....

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 1:36 pm

Great idea, but somewhat flawed IMHO.

What happens about delivery and security? Fine if you live on somewhere remote - to have your parcel dropped off and left lying on your door step, what about the majority of us who live in the modern world?

j2 lot · Post by **j2 lot** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:04 pm

Drones knocking next door to see if they can leave it with them, or hiding it in the wheelie bin

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:10 pm

So what happens when someone hit's one with a baseball bat and steals your stuff ?

or you get some sort of mechanical / software failure and it falls out the sky killing a pensioner ?

scott_e · Post by **scott_e** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:12 pm

Dominic wrote: What happens about delivery and security?

Very good point .... people out with air guns trying to knock them out of the sky. Can use some sort of pin security and tracking system I guess to deter a percentage of people. Other people technical engough to understand how to block grps / gps tracking may not want to go to the bother for a £10 book. For low value items its far less of an issue.

j2 lot wrote:Drones knocking next door to see if they can leave it with them, or hiding it in the wheelie bin

Oh and re-delivery. If you can guarantee take off time you can probably predict delivery time so be in. Its depot to delivery, no other deliveries in-between..... wind conditions could be a problem.

Rosssco · Post by **Rosssco** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:43 pm

I can see this taking off as a new sport in the more "well-armed" parts of the US of A..

bertieduff · Post by **bertieduff** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 5:36 pm

Does raise a ton of questions. But then, so did the horseless carriage, I suppose.

Stolen shamelessly from Mr Liddell's facebook post

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tut · Post by **tut** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 8:17 pm

The economics just would not make sense, and I can not see even with the march of technology how it could be achieved.

Amazon shipped 4.1 million orders yesterday, that is a hell of a lot of drones. Robin can go into the programming that would be required. Better off training Albatrosses.

tut

Lazydonkey · Post by **Lazydonkey** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 8:37 pm

Maybe just maybe its a pr stunt for amazon. Its not like its generates shed loads of publicity and debate

woody · Post by **woody** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:10 pm

Lazydonkey wrote:Maybe just maybe its a pr stunt for amazon. Its not like its generates shed loads of publicity and debate

No Shirley not, not on the busiest online day of shopping all year.

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:21 pm

its a genius bit of PR that "just so happened" to come out around Black Friday and Cyber Monday and probably got them £50m+ free publicity

Wishing id thought of it for AMP3!!

point n squirt · Post by **point n squirt** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:25 am

Andy G wrote:its a genius bit of PR that "just so happened" to come out around Black Friday and Cyber Monday and probably got them £50m+ free publicity

Wishing id thought of it for AMP3!!

Could just deliver your gear in the Atom probably be faster.

Scottish Elises