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I think it's fair to say that between self driving cars and self guided quadracopters, it is entirely possible to have a fully or nearly autonomous end-to-end l
by programminggeek 13y ago
I think it's fair to say that between self driving cars and self guided quadracopters, it is entirely possible to have a fully or nearly autonomous end-to-end logistics system in the next 10-15 years. A lot of the problems with longer distance quadracopters could be overcome with a self driving delivery van, similar to an aircraft carrier with fighter jets.
- steamboiler 13y agoDon't forget the robotic mules. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BigDog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BigDog
- cmapes 13y agoI think you're right. Then the next huge $bn+ company will be the ones who are able to solve the mathematical challenge of optimizing the symphony of orders, autonomous vehicles, drones, and hindering variables such as traffic and weather to maximize system throughput (and thereby profit) in near real-time. If there are multiple competitors and one figures this out better than the others, they will ultimately win.
- maxerickson 13y ago"How does the package get from the self driving car to your porch?"
- prawn 13y agoThe garbage truck does something similar with a mechanical arm...
- scarecrowbob 13y agoDrone?
- pekk 13y agoI don't really mind going out to the curb to pick up a package
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- programminggeek 13y agoLike the aircraft carrier and aircraft, you could have a delivery vehicle that acted as a quadracopter platform to take the item from van to house over shorter distances.
- waterlesscloud 13y agoI'm imagining the code to plan the route of the autonomous truck as it accounts for travel time/range in and out for each delivery. The truck never stops, optimizing its route for all the drones it has in the air. Writing that code would be a pretty cool job.
- dangoldin 13y agoDefinitely. Time to start writing it now in time for the hardware to catch up!
- chime 13y agoIt's probably been patented already.
- ogreyonder 13y agoUgh. You say this as a joke, but I vote we come up with a list of features that could be cited as prior art and stick a hash of 'em into the BTC block chain.
- chime 13y agoI wasn't joking. This is how software patent creation works. Before something can be made in practice, make all the algorithms you might need to implement it.
- CamperBob2 13y agoI believe Intellectual Ventures has patented that business model. You'll be hearing from their drone soon.
- jfb 13y agoAmazon Ballistics. Coming in 2017.
- jerius 13y agoAir cannon + http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KyktvC7w7Js#t=44 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Kyk... ??? (bounce landing) :)
- ams6110 13y agocatapult.
- waterlesscloud 13y agoI was a bit distraught to see human hands touching my requested item at one point in the video. Surely that can be eliminated.
- decktech 13y agoI have to go outside to retrieve the package? Deal-breaker.
- baddox 13y agoIn all seriousness, there's no reason that homes or apartment complexes couldn't have fairly standardized drone landing pads. Clever people could probably rig up some sort of simple elevator to bring the shipments inside. Incidentally, the landing pads could also be marked in a standard way to assist in computer vision controlled automated landing.
- kybernetikos 13y agoAnd if you provide a charging point and allow the drone to charge, then delivery is free.
- george88b 13y agoMaybe this is what they need: http://www.rethinkrobotics.com/products/baxter/ http://www.rethinkrobotics.com/products/baxter/