7 ms·

What, just a story to make sure Amazon dominates the media on Cyber Monday? I'd say your analysis is bang on. The lesson to learn here, folks, is that this is

• untog 13y ago
  The smoking gun on this is announcing a new service on a Sunday evening. No-one does that. Unless, say, it happens to be Cyber Monday the next day.
  • YeahKIA 13y ago
    This is exciting but a little too early for its time. Four months early to be specific.
    • ori_b 13y ago
      So, in other words, you think that they're outright lying about doing any development?
      • YeahKIA 13y ago
        Nope they are delusional about the 2015 timeline they talk about on their website
        • rayhano 13y ago
          Helicopters (used for media coverage, passenger transport and medical emergency) provide the perfect template for the Aviation Authority and Amazon to base a framework of operation on. The main considerations will be: - Set routes/paths the drones must follow, taking I to account altitudes that minimise traffic with other things high up (buildings, aircraft, UFOs) - emergency procedures and a risk assessment for each foreseeable eventuality (not that hard considering the lack of other traffic 'up there') - limits on the amount of drones in the air within constrained geographic localities. It is likely that this could all be agreed for a single trial city well before 2015 rolls around. This isn't rocket science...
          • michaelt 13y ago
            I don't know about America but in the UK aviation authorities already permit flying models [1] and aerial work such as photography if certain requirements are met [2]. Regulators are understandably keen on collision avoidance, so they usually say UAVs must stay within the operator's line of sight - or have a 'sense and avoid' system. The UK's CAA "is not currently aware of any Sense-and-Avoid system with adequate performance and reliability" [3] So, that's the regulatory challenge. Need to sense and avoid obstacles and other aircraft, and do a good enough job of it that aviation authorities will sign off on it. (In addition to the regulatory challenge, there may also be business, operational and engineering challenges.) [1] http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1416&pageid=8153 http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1416&pageid=8153 [2] http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1995&pageid=11213 http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1995&pageid=11213 [3] http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1995&pageid=11186 http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1995&pageid=11186
• ori_b 13y ago
  The fact that it's very obviously timed to give a PR boost doesn't mean it's fake. They may very well be working on this, hoping that it succeeds, and looking for a PR boost. In fact, given that they were working on it, one would expect them to announce it when it would give the most positive buzz possible.
  • pseudometa 13y ago
    You sure get an award for being optimistic, but I shall have to take away any certification you may have for being realistic.
• trg2 13y ago
  Am I in the minority in thinking this is fantastic marketing? If you were Amazon, why wouldn't you leverage an interesting R&D project on the eve of your biggest day of the year? Regardless of how pie-in-the-sky this might be, I don't understand all the cynicism.
• krrishd 13y ago
  Worked great for Obama :)