holy sh!t. amazon plans on using drones for 30 minute delivery

[Easy Rhino]

The design for this is the next level in software planning and engineering!

http://www.cbs.com/shows/60_minutes...m1tw5mumYDuV/60-minutes-overtime-12-01-13/?nm

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

....I don't believe this. No sarcasm, no joking, I don't believe it.


The FAA is a pain in the butt, and would never allow this without a huge amount of paperwork. I believe they are starting the groundwork, but there is no way we'll see this in the next few years.

Dominos pizza had the same gimick, and it never materialized. Amazon has more clout and money, but the FAA is full of people who will always stand in the way.

 

[Easy Rhino]

....I don't believe this. No sarcasm, no joking, I don't believe it.


The FAA is a pain in the butt, and would never allow this without a huge amount of paperwork. I believe they are starting the groundwork, but there is no way we'll see this in the next few years.

Dominos pizza had the same gimick, and it never materialized. Amazon has more clout and money, but the FAA is full of people who will always stand in the way.

There is a company in China that already does this. I can see this happening in 5 years if the FAA isn't too much of a pain.

 

[RCoon]

I read this about 8 hours ago. If this happens, I'm going to sit on my porch with a big net attached to a very long stick, and a high powered BB gun. Shoot the fuckers down and catch them for my own diabolical delivery service.

 

[MRCL]

Despite all the legal barriers...
I would love to fly a remote controlled aircraft that can do 10 minutes of continuous flight with payload. My model helicopters give out at around eight minutes, and that is without a single gram of payload. So yeah.

 

[Mindweaver]

Maybe it has 8 batteries to go with it's 8 blade backup system. I like it either way!

 

[BiggieShady]

Oh good, order from amazon and get a free drone

 

[Easy Rhino]

Oh good, order from amazon and get a free drone

Haha, I think that would be considered theft.

 

[BiggieShady]

Haha, I think that would be considered theft.

Your honor, at least my dog is not attacking delivery boys anymore

 

[Easy Rhino]

Your honor, at least my dog is not attacking delivery boys anymore

I wonder how many drones will be taken down by pets!!!!!

 

[Nordic]

How much will they charge for this? Free with prime membership? What about fragile computer parts like maybe a mechanical hdd or something?

 

[Easy Rhino]

How much will they charge for this? Free with prime membership? What about fragile computer parts like maybe a mechanical hdd or something?

I am certain it will be expensive at first. But if you needed something delivered in 30 minutes wouldn't you be willing to pay for it?

 

[phanbuey]

I can see a unibomber scenario here. Drones are a bit of a security risk IMO.

 

[A Cheese Danish]

I like the concept and idea of this.

I am certain it will be expensive at first. But if you needed something delivered in 30 minutes wouldn't you be willing to pay for it?

Yes I would; and I'm sure only certain items will apply at first as well.

 

[Easy Rhino]

I like the concept and idea of this.

Yes I would; and I'm sure only certain items will apply at first as well.

Obviously you would have to live close to a warehouse that had the item you wanted.

 

[Mindweaver]

There is a company in China that already does this. I can see this happening in 5 years if the FAA isn't too much of a pain.

As long as they stay below 3000 feet they should be fine don't you think?

 

[W1zzard]

As long as they stay below 3000 feet they should be fine don't you think?

makes it even easier to steal drone + payload

FAA requires you to get approval for ANYTHING that flies for commercial purposes.

 

[Mindweaver]

makes it even easier to steal drone + payload

FAA requires you to get approval for ANYTHING that flies for commercial purposes.

There is always a catch.. hehehe But it should make it easier to get approved staying below Commercial airlines. I just wonder how much money they will save leaving Commercial delivery services. Them getting stolen is going to be a problem, but maybe they'll have stealth mode.. hehehe They can paint them with Duck Commander Camo no one would ever see them! hehehe

 

[Easy Rhino]

You all seem to forget that in the U.S federal agencies are easily bought off.

 

[Black Panther]

ooops!

 

[MRCL]

The legal requirements to be able to operate a drone or any other remotely controlled aircraft in Switzerland:
- below 30kg weight - this would include payload, otherwise you need permission from the BAZL (FAA equivalent)
- permanent visual contact from pilot to aircraft. When it is piloted via video system, a second operater must maintain eye contact
- no remote controlled aircraft may fly within an area with a radius of 5km from any runway. In Switzerland that means if you live in a town close to an airport, be it just one that operates once or twice a year, you're SOL.
- below 150m within a CTR (control area of a controleld airport)
- above 500g weight (would include payload), a special insurance is needed

Then... batteries must be recharged frequently. A common advanced level RC aircraft (I'm inluding helis, drones and aircrafts in that) takes around eight minutes of continous flight, that is only hovering.
This would require special precautions regarding flammable objects. Methane operated drones are a possibility, however they underly strict noise policies and also environmental laws.
And os on and so on.

Then there's other country specific laws and procedures. New Zealand requires every R aircraft operator to be state licensed, etc.

This isn't feasible until at least such small drones can operate independently andlaws are amended accordingly. Especially the latter i of great concern. I don't know how fst the US is with implementin new laws, but Swtzerland (and German) can take thir sweet time. Until everything is ready, we're aready teleporting our stuff.

 

[Delta6326]

Time to equip my plane with rockets and fpv gear and go hunting...

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Despite all the legal barriers...
I would love to fly a remote controlled aircraft that can do 10 minutes of continuous flight with payload.

 

[ShiBDiB]

They already said it wouldn't be for 5+ years from now and that the FAA currently bans it

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

I stand by my earlier statements. Does anyone else in the US remember the Dominos proposal? If not, take a quick read here: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/dominos-tests-delivery-pizza-remote-controlled-drone-150259

Here's the problem, in only three letters: FAA.

But they can be bought off. No, they can't. Amazon might grease the way with money and clout, but they've got to prove three things, that I think might be difficult.
1) Commercial applications will not deliver items which may be dangerous. That powered sugar might be Ricin, the fertilizer is ammonium based and could be used as a bomb, and the children's toy is ticking. These problems will raise the ire of homeland security; comparing these entities to medical issues, if the FAA is a non-cancerous tumor Homeland security is a carcinoma as big as a watermelon.
2) Loss of goods. There will be people who want to steal these suckers. The embedded GPS is a decent touch, but a BB gun and metal box would allow a person to shoot the drone down, disconnect power, and quickly relocate. If one of those is just $300 in parts (an extremely low-ball estimate, given 4 times that much is a more reasonable assumption) that means a huge loss for Amazon.
3) Location. Amazon has fulfillment center near large cities, but not in them. This decision is based upon the cost of land, and other fiscal considerations. If these drones actually only have enough power for about 30 minutes of flight, that's 15 minutes max in any one direction. Unless you've got the ability to see your fulfillment center, you're unlikely to be in range of a drone.

I'd love to be proven wrong. I'm not sure I'll be so lucky. Whenever they've got longer ranges I'll be looking forward to this. I'm currently seeing this only as a gimmick that will pop-up every 6 months, and be destroyed as quickly. If anyone can actually make it real it will be Amazon.

They already said it wouldn't be for 5+ years from now and that the FAA currently bans it

I can see your point, but my argument is that it will never happen. This is the same PR dog and pony show that Dominos did, and it has obviously fell into obscurity based upon some of the other posters acting like this is something new. While slipping into obscurity is not a guarantee, it is likely given the track record of such ideas.