Amazon recently announced they intend to use drones to speed delivery of customer packages to their front door. The service, in testing phase currently, is to be called Amazon Prime Air. While I have no doubt they really are testing a system like this, for now it seems more like a publicity stunt. They are just the latest in a line of companies announcing drone deliveries of everything from pizza to textbooks. I would not be surprised to see UPS, FedEx, DHL, and other shipping firms start their own testing programs.
While I think the concept is interesting, regulations will obviously need to be worked out first, and reliable systems with proven track records will have to be developed.
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What will AMazon do if someone steals their 40,000$$$ copter while delivering a 50$ customer goodie?
Manufacture another one?? :)
+1 for Hugues' comment. Once upon a time, amazon.com (and a few other notable entities) did not exist.
I think this is great news and publicity for all of us in the hobby. I would not underestimate visionaries who have the financial sources to reach their dream.
I am currently in discussion with a MAJOR chewing gum manufacturer about using my micro drones to deliver sticks of gum.
I want to see autonomous blimps with winches to deliver packages. There would be significantly less risk of death-by-propeller, and the capability for higher payloads/longer flight times.
Robert, I agree that the publicity is probably a good thing. As for the fleet of UAVs ripping around the neighborhood, it'll be great to have something drowning out the leaf-blowers.
Well... there are solid copters like my hexa which flies 39 minutes, but it has nowhere near a payload of 2.3 kg (only 200g-500g max with lower endurance). In multirotor design you go either for heavy-lifting, agility or endurance and those design objectives are incompatible. It can run 11.7km straight before running out of energy, so I see no way they can offer 10 miles range (and back) on an octocopter which loses another 2 minutes of autonomy with 2 extra rotors, not even considering the payload.
The biggest thing is thus the battery and if Amazon really is serious about this, I hope this news implies that they're covering that problem.
Lithium air has a specific energy density that stores 5-15 times more capacity in a battery, so my hexa on those batteries could potentially fly 2.5 hours or more with 200g payload. 2.3kg payload would then probably allow the 10miles radius limit.
I think this is just a fun publicity stunt, but it's also some positive exposure for this industry so I like it. Those of us in the know understand there are massive technological hurdles to actually making this work. But it's still fun to think about. The biggest thing is obviously flight duration while carrying a payload. The machines which can fly 60+ minutes are just a bunch of carbon fiber toothpicks held together with zip ties. Not very practical.
I think what would be a more realistic approach, would be to have an "aircraft carrier" delivery truck which only has to drive down the main roads of an area, with a fleet of UAV's flitting off down all the side-street to make the final delivery. Get to the point where the van could be driverless...
Can anyone imagine a float of 30 drones from diferent branches flying over the neighborhood?
I could be necessari a new group of air traffic controllers that survey the air space.
And how about the flying autonomy?
Perhaps a robotic car can bring near the target the deliver flying drone.
Folks, you may want to watch the last portion of the 60 Minutes segment, starting at 11:03, about the delivery drones project. See link above provided by BlueSky1.
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