4 ms·

Our Robot Sky

18 points by joubert 11y ago

iamleppert 11y ago
This all seems nice in theory to think of it has some utopian future with robots flying all around. However, the economics of small UAVs carrying cargo do not make sense. It simply isn't worth the cost and it isn't efficient to lift small amounts of weight. Otherwise FedEx, UPS would be doing it. It's more efficient to use a large winged craft that has immense economies of scale in a hub and spoke distribution architecture, just like FedEx and UPS do. Things may change in the future but right now the overhead of UAV flight is too significant. Also, too complicated. And keeping in mind it's much harder to control a lightweight craft in 20 mph wind than a large jet.
- skybrian 11y ago
  From the article: "The technology is not disruptive, but supplementary. Cargo drone routes will never replace road or railway, but they can add choice for the rapid sharing of precious cargo over mountain ranges, across lakes, and up rivers." FedEx and UPS use planes for long distances and trucks for the last few miles because the airports they need are large and expensive and we have good road networks. This article is talking about reaching places that don't have decent roads.
  - copsarebastards 11y ago
    This is especially relevant internationally: people in the West often forget that i.e. China has tons of mountains and much more limited transport infrastructure.
worik 11y ago
Once again here we have a European with a "Good Idea" for Africa. I guess Africans are too stupid to do anything for themselves, eh? The mobile phone revolution in Africa was African. Western networks did not believe it would be possible. Perhaps Europeans could look to their own problems and instead of creating "solutions" for Africa they could stop bleeding the continent dry.
powera 11y ago
In what universe will it be more effective to use "cargo drone routes" than it is to use rivers? Also, if this is so miraculous, why do the future images look like poor Africans living next to a robot building?
- skybrian 11y ago
  "The droneport is intended to save lives and build local economies through enabling the rapid repetition of flight of super-fast and super-cheap flying robots carrying precious cargo over mountains, across lakes, and up unnavigable rivers."
skybrian 11y ago
Earlier article by the same author: http://www.wired.com/2014/09/cargo-drones-in-africa/ http://www.wired.com/2014/09/cargo-drones-in-africa/ "The continent’s shortfall on annual public infrastructure spending is $50 billion and rising. There is no money for tunnels and not enough for bridges and bypasses, let alone simple road maintenance. Paving secondary roads is more expensive per kilometer than paving longer arterials and costs have risen sharply in the last decade, with frequent budget overruns of 100 percent or more. Economists have estimated that $1 spent on roads in Africa returns $4 in productivity. How much better value would $1 spent on cargo drone routes be?"

18 points by joubert 11y ago

This all seems nice in theory to think of it has some utopian future with robots flying all around. However, the economics of small UAVs carrying cargo do not make sense. It simply isn't worth the cost and it isn't efficient to lift small amounts of weight. Otherwise FedEx, UPS would be doing it. It's more efficient to use a large winged craft that has immense economies of scale in a hub and spoke distribution architecture, just like FedEx and UPS do. Things may change in the future but right now the overhead of UAV flight is too significant. Also, too complicated. And keeping in mind it's much harder to control a lightweight craft in 20 mph wind than a large jet.

skybrian 11y ago
From the article: "The technology is not disruptive, but supplementary. Cargo drone routes will never replace road or railway, but they can add choice for the rapid sharing of precious cargo over mountain ranges, across lakes, and up rivers." FedEx and UPS use planes for long distances and trucks for the last few miles because the airports they need are large and expensive and we have good road networks. This article is talking about reaching places that don't have decent roads.
- copsarebastards 11y ago
  This is especially relevant internationally: people in the West often forget that i.e. China has tons of mountains and much more limited transport infrastructure.

worik 11y ago

Once again here we have a European with a "Good Idea" for Africa. I guess Africans are too stupid to do anything for themselves, eh? The mobile phone revolution in Africa was African. Western networks did not believe it would be possible. Perhaps Europeans could look to their own problems and instead of creating "solutions" for Africa they could stop bleeding the continent dry.

powera 11y ago

In what universe will it be more effective to use "cargo drone routes" than it is to use rivers? Also, if this is so miraculous, why do the future images look like poor Africans living next to a robot building?

skybrian 11y ago
"The droneport is intended to save lives and build local economies through enabling the rapid repetition of flight of super-fast and super-cheap flying robots carrying precious cargo over mountains, across lakes, and up unnavigable rivers."

skybrian 11y ago

Earlier article by the same author: http://www.wired.com/2014/09/cargo-drones-in-africa/ http://www.wired.com/2014/09/cargo-drones-in-africa/ "The continent’s shortfall on annual public infrastructure spending is $50 billion and rising. There is no money for tunnels and not enough for bridges and bypasses, let alone simple road maintenance. Paving secondary roads is more expensive per kilometer than paving longer arterials and costs have risen sharply in the last decade, with frequent budget overruns of 100 percent or more. Economists have estimated that $1 spent on roads in Africa returns $4 in productivity. How much better value would $1 spent on cargo drone routes be?"