6 ms·

Why Jeff Bezos's Drone Is More Than a Joke

23 points by ppjim 13y ago

OneOneOneOne 13y ago
<EVIL> Just think, they could sell drone idle time and other captured video to the NSA and other interested parties to help defray delivery cost. Can't sell ads... sell surveillance! </EVIL>
- pavel_lishin 13y ago
  <GOOD> You could also sell idle time - or a live feed - to Google to make StreetView much more up-to-date.</GOOD>
- TrainedMonkey 13y ago
  Or they will just be required by law to do that.
whacker 13y ago
This is so transparently a fluff piece for the startup referenced in the latter falf of the article. See pg's the submarine
- whacker 13y ago
  http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html
  - TrainedMonkey 13y ago
    Kudos to both of you (and to pg). I suspected something like that in action, but not to be such a well oiled machine.
- diydsp 13y ago
  >Mr. Raptopoulos is one of the founders of Matternet, a tiny Silicon Valley start-up that is building a UAV transportation system that he says will be useful in developing countries that lack passable roads. Developing countries trope, Check! >For the transportation of crucial goods, small drones have several distinct advantages over ground-based vehicles, he says. They're fast, ridiculous comparison (drone faster than a truck?) >energy efficient, "green" trope, Check! >and—most importantly—they don't require huge investments in infrastructure to start working. Right, because a handful of trucks is not as useful as a handful of drones! Now I'm going to watch Andreas R.'s video: >1. "1 Billion people are totally cut off for some part of the year." Has it occurred to him that their culture doesn't mandate UPS delivery? > It will take them 50 years to catch [ to our road system ] Has it occurred to him that their cultures don't want or need roads like ours? And if the roads are washed out due to rain, how are you going to charge the batteries in remote locations? certainly not with solar power! A typical UAV battery might be 24 Watt hours. That's 20 minutes charging in full sun from a typical large panel. So, you can only charge about 12 batteries per day in remote locations. You can move 24kg per day autonomously in sunny weather sigh... we are certainly living in a narcotized world!!!
  - shabble 13y ago
    > Developing countries trope, Check! Because the best place to compete with huge established logistics chains is in places with well-developed road & rail infrastructure? > ridiculous comparison (drone faster than a truck?) Familiar with the term "As the crow flies"? And even the slowest drone is faster than the truck that's stuck in mud / can't pass the washed-out bridge / broke an axle in a pothole. > And if the roads are washed out due to rain, how are you going to charge the batteries in remote locations? certainly not with solar power! Stockpile them when conditions suit? Higher capacity fixed-site batteries recharged under better conditions? Wind? Scale the charging stations? If this article[1] is accurate, India is looking to upgrade >50% of its cell-phone towers (1-5kWe) over the next few years. No doubt others will be looking to do likewise, especially if they're currently paying for diesel + transport. Modular/turnkey installations of that size should become much more common/affordable. > * You can move 24kg per day autonomously* Which might be plenty if all you need are those few rather important vials of anti-venom and the roads are impassable (but you're not rich enough to actually afford a medivac). Whine whine whine. [1] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cellular-towers-moving-to-solar-power http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cellular-to...
thecolorblue 13y ago
Is it just me or should, "unveiling of the project on '60 Minutes' Sunday carried three important public-relations payloads for the firm.", be followed by a list of three items?
- pgrote 13y ago
  It was a confusing read based on how the author laid it out. The three things: 1) Everyone talking about Amazon before holiday season. 2) Gave investors a taste of what is coming. 3) Cemented Bezos' image as a big thinker.
- laxatives 13y ago
  It is. The next three sentences begin, "First", "Next", and "And".
derekp7 13y ago
How about this: Instead of dispatching drones from a warehouse, how about dispatching them from a delivery vehicle? So the Semi filled with orders drives into a town (doesn't even have to park), and these drones fly back and forth from it delivering packages -- it saves the driver the need to stop at each address, yet it also allows deliveries further from the warehouse.
- gamegoblin 13y ago
  A drone carrier. Generally I'd make a joke about skynet, but the concept is really awesome. Another interesting drone concept I'd like to see explored: self driving package truck that drives around to the locations, sends an SMS to the person when it is near (I imagine would could have a decently complex system of commands with SMS such as scheduling preferred time, location, or rescheduling a failed delivery).
- QuantumGood 13y ago
  +1 Exactly.
- cm2012 13y ago
  Somewhat like a Carrier from Starcraft.
- 001sky 13y ago
  A little flight deck on top of a parked UPS truck. But I think abigger issue might be things like (1) signatures; (2) porches, yards, dogs; and (3) multi-tenant high-rises (without doormen, etc). Some of these could be worked-around (eg, landing pads on the roof...or bolted on the side of a building...including a 'chute' to the basement)
hosh 13y ago
I keep seeing this sentiment everywhere. I don't know why people thinks this is a joke, that it is: "illegal," "implausible" and "kind of silly". Yes, Bezos did this to help boost up sales and set up PR to help the lobbying, but that isn't the only thing about it. Why are people so stuck up on the silliness of the idea? Have people stopped being able to exercise their imagination and executing on it? Just because you can't conceive yourself pulling it off does not mean someone else cannot... Not only do I think Bezos has the imagination and will to pull this off, I know this is being implemented in places outside of the US. It's already happening. Right now. And if it is happening, right now, is it implausible? Is it silly? By the way, I make a distinction between something we can do and something we should do. I am not sure this is something that is good for the world even though I don't think this is a silly idea. I see another facepalm moment coming up when the folks who have been saying this won't happen start screaming angrily that this shouldn't be happening.
- redblacktree 13y ago
  Where is this already happening?
  - MrBuddyCasino 13y ago
    UPS is thinking about it: http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/3/5169878/ups-is-researching-its-own-delivery-drones-to-compete-with-amazons http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/3/5169878/ups-is-researching... So is DHL (german link): http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/DHL-will-in-Bonn-Paketdrohne-testen-2060348.html http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/DHL-will-in-Bonn-Pake... Admittedly, thats still in the prototype phase.
  - benologist 13y ago
    http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/innovation/zookal-will-deliver-textbooks-using-drones/ http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/innovation/zookal-wil...
  - paulgb 13y ago
    In Australia, where drones are allowed to fly up to a 122m ceiling, they'll soon be used to deliver textbooks: http://qz.com/152788/australia-and-china-are-way-ahead-of-amazon-in-the-commercial-drone-race/ http://qz.com/152788/australia-and-china-are-way-ahead-of-am...
pazimzadeh 13y ago
Related: discussion of Zookal's plans to deliver college textbooks via drone. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6550765 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6550765
Zoomla 13y ago
The only way this seems plausible is with nuclear powered engine(s)

23 points by ppjim 13y ago

<EVIL> Just think, they could sell drone idle time and other captured video to the NSA and other interested parties to help defray delivery cost. Can't sell ads... sell surveillance! </EVIL>

pavel_lishin 13y ago
<GOOD> You could also sell idle time - or a live feed - to Google to make StreetView much more up-to-date.</GOOD>
TrainedMonkey 13y ago
Or they will just be required by law to do that.

whacker 13y ago

This is so transparently a fluff piece for the startup referenced in the latter falf of the article. See pg's the submarine

whacker 13y ago
http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html
- TrainedMonkey 13y ago
  Kudos to both of you (and to pg). I suspected something like that in action, but not to be such a well oiled machine.
diydsp 13y ago
>Mr. Raptopoulos is one of the founders of Matternet, a tiny Silicon Valley start-up that is building a UAV transportation system that he says will be useful in developing countries that lack passable roads. Developing countries trope, Check! >For the transportation of crucial goods, small drones have several distinct advantages over ground-based vehicles, he says. They're fast, ridiculous comparison (drone faster than a truck?) >energy efficient, "green" trope, Check! >and—most importantly—they don't require huge investments in infrastructure to start working. Right, because a handful of trucks is not as useful as a handful of drones! Now I'm going to watch Andreas R.'s video: >1. "1 Billion people are totally cut off for some part of the year." Has it occurred to him that their culture doesn't mandate UPS delivery? > It will take them 50 years to catch [ to our road system ] Has it occurred to him that their cultures don't want or need roads like ours? And if the roads are washed out due to rain, how are you going to charge the batteries in remote locations? certainly not with solar power! A typical UAV battery might be 24 Watt hours. That's 20 minutes charging in full sun from a typical large panel. So, you can only charge about 12 batteries per day in remote locations. You can move 24kg per day autonomously in sunny weather sigh... we are certainly living in a narcotized world!!!
- shabble 13y ago
  > Developing countries trope, Check! Because the best place to compete with huge established logistics chains is in places with well-developed road & rail infrastructure? > ridiculous comparison (drone faster than a truck?) Familiar with the term "As the crow flies"? And even the slowest drone is faster than the truck that's stuck in mud / can't pass the washed-out bridge / broke an axle in a pothole. > And if the roads are washed out due to rain, how are you going to charge the batteries in remote locations? certainly not with solar power! Stockpile them when conditions suit? Higher capacity fixed-site batteries recharged under better conditions? Wind? Scale the charging stations? If this article[1] is accurate, India is looking to upgrade >50% of its cell-phone towers (1-5kWe) over the next few years. No doubt others will be looking to do likewise, especially if they're currently paying for diesel + transport. Modular/turnkey installations of that size should become much more common/affordable. > * You can move 24kg per day autonomously* Which might be plenty if all you need are those few rather important vials of anti-venom and the roads are impassable (but you're not rich enough to actually afford a medivac). Whine whine whine. [1] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cellular-towers-moving-to-solar-power http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cellular-to...

thecolorblue 13y ago

Is it just me or should, "unveiling of the project on '60 Minutes' Sunday carried three important public-relations payloads for the firm.", be followed by a list of three items?

pgrote 13y ago
It was a confusing read based on how the author laid it out. The three things: 1) Everyone talking about Amazon before holiday season. 2) Gave investors a taste of what is coming. 3) Cemented Bezos' image as a big thinker.
laxatives 13y ago
It is. The next three sentences begin, "First", "Next", and "And".

derekp7 13y ago

How about this: Instead of dispatching drones from a warehouse, how about dispatching them from a delivery vehicle? So the Semi filled with orders drives into a town (doesn't even have to park), and these drones fly back and forth from it delivering packages -- it saves the driver the need to stop at each address, yet it also allows deliveries further from the warehouse.

gamegoblin 13y ago
A drone carrier. Generally I'd make a joke about skynet, but the concept is really awesome. Another interesting drone concept I'd like to see explored: self driving package truck that drives around to the locations, sends an SMS to the person when it is near (I imagine would could have a decently complex system of commands with SMS such as scheduling preferred time, location, or rescheduling a failed delivery).
QuantumGood 13y ago
+1 Exactly.
cm2012 13y ago
Somewhat like a Carrier from Starcraft.
001sky 13y ago
A little flight deck on top of a parked UPS truck. But I think abigger issue might be things like (1) signatures; (2) porches, yards, dogs; and (3) multi-tenant high-rises (without doormen, etc). Some of these could be worked-around (eg, landing pads on the roof...or bolted on the side of a building...including a 'chute' to the basement)

hosh 13y ago

I keep seeing this sentiment everywhere. I don't know why people thinks this is a joke, that it is: "illegal," "implausible" and "kind of silly". Yes, Bezos did this to help boost up sales and set up PR to help the lobbying, but that isn't the only thing about it. Why are people so stuck up on the silliness of the idea? Have people stopped being able to exercise their imagination and executing on it? Just because you can't conceive yourself pulling it off does not mean someone else cannot... Not only do I think Bezos has the imagination and will to pull this off, I know this is being implemented in places outside of the US. It's already happening. Right now. And if it is happening, right now, is it implausible? Is it silly? By the way, I make a distinction between something we can do and something we should do. I am not sure this is something that is good for the world even though I don't think this is a silly idea. I see another facepalm moment coming up when the folks who have been saying this won't happen start screaming angrily that this shouldn't be happening.

redblacktree 13y ago
Where is this already happening?
- MrBuddyCasino 13y ago
  UPS is thinking about it: http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/3/5169878/ups-is-researching-its-own-delivery-drones-to-compete-with-amazons http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/3/5169878/ups-is-researching... So is DHL (german link): http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/DHL-will-in-Bonn-Paketdrohne-testen-2060348.html http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/DHL-will-in-Bonn-Pake... Admittedly, thats still in the prototype phase.
- benologist 13y ago
  http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/innovation/zookal-will-deliver-textbooks-using-drones/ http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/innovation/zookal-wil...
- paulgb 13y ago
  In Australia, where drones are allowed to fly up to a 122m ceiling, they'll soon be used to deliver textbooks: http://qz.com/152788/australia-and-china-are-way-ahead-of-amazon-in-the-commercial-drone-race/ http://qz.com/152788/australia-and-china-are-way-ahead-of-am...

pazimzadeh 13y ago

Related: discussion of Zookal's plans to deliver college textbooks via drone. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6550765 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6550765

Zoomla 13y ago

The only way this seems plausible is with nuclear powered engine(s)