4 ms·

Amazon details drone delivery plans

40 points by escapologybb 11y ago

amelius 11y ago
I don't see any implementatin details in that patent, only a very rough sketch of how such a system could work (but many important details missing!) It could be me though.
- ekianjo 11y ago
  Yeah, I am wondering about the limits of range, package weight, recharging operations and more for this kind of use. There are probably many headaches involved in implementing such projects.
  - amelius 11y ago
    Range could be handled by having recharging stations spread out through a city (a drone could also swap batteries). However, the challenge is to keep the solution as low-cost as possible, because drones will be lost to weather, crashes, etc. None of this is addressed though.
    - johnm1019 11y ago
      Why is the challenge to keep costs low? If this means I can have something delivered in 45 minutes, or maybe 20 minutes!, they can charge a premium for that. Otherwise I wait for the big truck to bring it by within 2 days and it's free. Right now there is no solution at any cost, in my market, by which I can order almost any product from Amazon and have it within a few hours.
      - TillE 11y ago
        Amazon already does same-day delivery in more areas than you're likely to see drone-delivery in the next 5-10 years. In most places, the fancy technology has zero advantage over employing a handful of couriers. Exceptions would include extreme geography or traffic conditions.
        william_barnes 11y ago
        Straight line delivery and Amazons ability to mark a job finished more quickly are both valuable in any area.
  - specialist 11y ago
    I'm keenly interested reducing package weight and waste. I'd love to see innovation in that value chain. For instance, shipping medications in baggies (pouches), where the script label is printed directly on the baggie. Boxes within boxes, plus all the packing material, drives me nuts.
- cmurf 11y ago
  I don't understand why or how a rough sketch of a system is patentable in the first place. The air traffic control system isn't patented, our system of roads and highways aren't patented, bike paths, trails, and so on are not patented. Patenting a system of automated "see and avoid" for autonomous flight is a maybe, but ultimately all such aircraft have to fit into a standardized system that cannot depend on any one patent. One company can't "own" the drone air traffic control system.
EricSu 11y ago
First sentence: "According to the patent, the drones will be able to track the location of the person it is delivering to by pulling data from their smartphone." Further down: "Using Audi's...communications system...DHL delivery drivers would track a customer's vehicle over a specified period of time and then use a digital access code to unlock the boot. This code would then expire as soon as the boot was shut." ...well this is all a little more unsettling than having your mailman or a FedEx driver drop by your house
- nly 11y ago
  How the hell do they plan to plan efficient deliveries to moving targets?
- 7Z7 11y ago
  Don't opt for that service then. If you are more comfortable with it, just tick the "Deliver to my home" box..
- Raphmedia 11y ago
  It's probably only an option in the amazon mobile app. I doubt they would track your phone with NSA style tech.
- JustThrowinAway 11y ago
  If the issue is someone knowing your whereabouts during the day, hopefully you consider it pretty unsettling that everyone who knows your address can be reasonably certain where you are between 6 PM and 7 AM. That being said, I can see being uncomfortable with them having access to your trunk.
  - vowelless 11y ago
    There is reasonable expectation that people can drop by when you are "at home". But when driving around on 5th avenue, seeing a DHL truck chasing you around? That's just not a reasonable expectation.
    - 11y ago
The_Brads 11y ago
There's so many hurdles to overcome with this, regulatory is likely the lesser of their worries. Drones now are (To my knowledge) using open spectrum radio waves without encryption, just generic hobby level stuff. Making them exceedingly easy to hijack. As we've already seen this with the parrot drones. I can see them trying to go with something like 2, maybe 3g cellular for communications. That would be really good for distance, but not if they can't exceed the pilots view. Then we have to consider the concept of having physical pilots. I find it difficult to believe that paying people to fly drones would be any more efficient short range for small parcels. They could maybe push the 1 day delivery to 1 hour delivery for common items, if you live within 500ft of the Amazon warehouse with a clear view of your house. Don't get me wrong, drones are really freaking cool, and I totally want them showing up in 10min from purchase with emergency condoms. However, it's going to be a logistical nightmare, at least for the first little while until they can be fully automated with programmed routes and little human interaction.
abandonliberty 11y ago
Title is misleading. Given that you can patent without implementing, and unimplemented patents can leave you open to lawsuits, organizations are forced to patent everything they they may want to do someday.
rhino369 11y ago
A patent isn't necessarily what someone will implement. It's just one possible embodiment.

40 points by escapologybb 11y ago

I don't see any implementatin details in that patent, only a very rough sketch of how such a system could work (but many important details missing!) It could be me though.

ekianjo 11y ago
Yeah, I am wondering about the limits of range, package weight, recharging operations and more for this kind of use. There are probably many headaches involved in implementing such projects.
- amelius 11y ago
  Range could be handled by having recharging stations spread out through a city (a drone could also swap batteries). However, the challenge is to keep the solution as low-cost as possible, because drones will be lost to weather, crashes, etc. None of this is addressed though.
  - johnm1019 11y ago
    Why is the challenge to keep costs low? If this means I can have something delivered in 45 minutes, or maybe 20 minutes!, they can charge a premium for that. Otherwise I wait for the big truck to bring it by within 2 days and it's free. Right now there is no solution at any cost, in my market, by which I can order almost any product from Amazon and have it within a few hours.
    - TillE 11y ago
      Amazon already does same-day delivery in more areas than you're likely to see drone-delivery in the next 5-10 years. In most places, the fancy technology has zero advantage over employing a handful of couriers. Exceptions would include extreme geography or traffic conditions.
      - william_barnes 11y ago
        Straight line delivery and Amazons ability to mark a job finished more quickly are both valuable in any area.
- specialist 11y ago
  I'm keenly interested reducing package weight and waste. I'd love to see innovation in that value chain. For instance, shipping medications in baggies (pouches), where the script label is printed directly on the baggie. Boxes within boxes, plus all the packing material, drives me nuts.
cmurf 11y ago
I don't understand why or how a rough sketch of a system is patentable in the first place. The air traffic control system isn't patented, our system of roads and highways aren't patented, bike paths, trails, and so on are not patented. Patenting a system of automated "see and avoid" for autonomous flight is a maybe, but ultimately all such aircraft have to fit into a standardized system that cannot depend on any one patent. One company can't "own" the drone air traffic control system.

EricSu 11y ago

First sentence: "According to the patent, the drones will be able to track the location of the person it is delivering to by pulling data from their smartphone." Further down: "Using Audi's...communications system...DHL delivery drivers would track a customer's vehicle over a specified period of time and then use a digital access code to unlock the boot. This code would then expire as soon as the boot was shut." ...well this is all a little more unsettling than having your mailman or a FedEx driver drop by your house

nly 11y ago
How the hell do they plan to plan efficient deliveries to moving targets?
7Z7 11y ago
Don't opt for that service then. If you are more comfortable with it, just tick the "Deliver to my home" box..
Raphmedia 11y ago
It's probably only an option in the amazon mobile app. I doubt they would track your phone with NSA style tech.
JustThrowinAway 11y ago
If the issue is someone knowing your whereabouts during the day, hopefully you consider it pretty unsettling that everyone who knows your address can be reasonably certain where you are between 6 PM and 7 AM. That being said, I can see being uncomfortable with them having access to your trunk.
- vowelless 11y ago
  There is reasonable expectation that people can drop by when you are "at home". But when driving around on 5th avenue, seeing a DHL truck chasing you around? That's just not a reasonable expectation.
  - 11y ago

The_Brads 11y ago

There's so many hurdles to overcome with this, regulatory is likely the lesser of their worries. Drones now are (To my knowledge) using open spectrum radio waves without encryption, just generic hobby level stuff. Making them exceedingly easy to hijack. As we've already seen this with the parrot drones. I can see them trying to go with something like 2, maybe 3g cellular for communications. That would be really good for distance, but not if they can't exceed the pilots view. Then we have to consider the concept of having physical pilots. I find it difficult to believe that paying people to fly drones would be any more efficient short range for small parcels. They could maybe push the 1 day delivery to 1 hour delivery for common items, if you live within 500ft of the Amazon warehouse with a clear view of your house. Don't get me wrong, drones are really freaking cool, and I totally want them showing up in 10min from purchase with emergency condoms. However, it's going to be a logistical nightmare, at least for the first little while until they can be fully automated with programmed routes and little human interaction.

abandonliberty 11y ago

Title is misleading. Given that you can patent without implementing, and unimplemented patents can leave you open to lawsuits, organizations are forced to patent everything they they may want to do someday.

rhino369 11y ago

A patent isn't necessarily what someone will implement. It's just one possible embodiment.