Amazon has said it will use drones to deliver packages to customers “within months”.

It unveiled its latest iteration at a conference in Las Vegas, touting the machine's ability to spot obstacles such as people, dogs, and clotheslines.

Amazon executive Jeff Wilke said the drone would be able to travel 15 miles to carry packages weighing 5lbs (2.3kg) or less.

Mr Wilke did not say where in the world the drone deliveries would initially take place, or precisely when.

However, the US Federal Aviation Administration told the BBC it had granted Amazon a permit to operate the drone in the US.

"The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate to Amazon Prime Air allowing the company to operate its MK27 unmanned aircraft for research and development and crew training in authorized flight areas," the regulator said.

"Amazon Prime Air plans to use the aircraft to establish a package delivery operation in the United States. This certificate is valid for one year and is eligible for renewal."



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Predict a serious accident will occur within the few months resulting in the program being put on indefinite hold for years to come.

Dumb.

Bust up amazon.

Unless a service is using a drone to deliver something important (FedEx just unveiled a commercial where they have a robot-type device delivering medicine to a front door for some mom), they shouldn't use drones to deliver crap. Do you really need a drone delivering a paperback book? It's just Amazon's way of using their technology to avoid paying employees.

I'm looking forward to seeing a black market develop of folks selling slightly used drones on the darknet that they 'found' in their backyards.

Nah this is how the future is going to play out.

5G connected drones will spill out of Amazon storefronts or mobile fulfillment centers in populated areas.

The folks in apartment 27F will come home to their packages on their balcony. People will be happy. People will buy more Amazon schit.

Get on board or dont, but this is what's coming.

They will lose their shirts both literally and figuratively. The amount of theft will be staggering. Imagine being a crook drinking a 40 on a park bench and a random Amazon package floats by. I'm sure you'll just let it go right?

(06-06-2019 08:09 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  They will lose their shirts both literally and figuratively. The amount of theft will be staggering. Imagine being a crook drinking a 40 on a park bench and a random Amazon package floats by. I'm sure you'll just let it go right?

They're leaving packages on doorsteps RIGHT NOW and the vast majority aren't being stolen.

You think these drones are gonna be floating by on the sidewalk at eye level?

The article states they had to get a license from the FAA. That's not to fly at eye level.

(06-06-2019 08:28 AM)king king Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 08:09 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  They will lose their shirts both literally and figuratively. The amount of theft will be staggering. Imagine being a crook drinking a 40 on a park bench and a random Amazon package floats by. I'm sure you'll just let it go right?

They're leaving packages on doorsteps RIGHT NOW and the vast majority aren't being stolen.

You think these drones are gonna be floating by on the sidewalk at eye level?

The article states they had to get a license from the FAA. That's not to fly at eye level.

Well yes, they will have to approach at eye level, especially in a more populated area like a city or in a neighborhood full of trees. Many of those packages will never reach the doorstep. I guess it could work if you were delivering to a farmhouse on acres of land.

How do you plan on delivering to most of these houses in my neighborhood without going in low to near eye level... certainly under 20 feet?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

(06-06-2019 08:42 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 08:28 AM)king king Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 08:09 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  They will lose their shirts both literally and figuratively. The amount of theft will be staggering. Imagine being a crook drinking a 40 on a park bench and a random Amazon package floats by. I'm sure you'll just let it go right?

They're leaving packages on doorsteps RIGHT NOW and the vast majority aren't being stolen.

You think these drones are gonna be floating by on the sidewalk at eye level?

The article states they had to get a license from the FAA. That's not to fly at eye level.

Well yes, they will have to approach at eye level, especially in a more populated area like a city or in a neighborhood full of trees. Many of those packages will never reach the doorstep. I guess it could work if you were delivering to a farmhouse on acres of land.

It's not gonna be like a thief can just snatch the package away.

(06-06-2019 08:44 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  How do you plan on delivering to most of these houses in my neighborhood without going in low to near eye level... certainly under 20 feet?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

It's vertical takeoff and landing. It can come down from anywhere to your porch and leave the package.

Why dont thieves just snatch the packages from the delivery guy coming in at eye level?

I'd be willing to venture that some very smart and wealthy people at Amazon put enough thought and money into this BEFORE making the investment to study the feasibility of whether or not it can be done and have decided that it was worth dumping millions into to get off the ground because they can and will deliver packages right to your door in almost any environment without incurring much in the way of theft.

(06-06-2019 08:28 AM)king king Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 08:09 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  They will lose their shirts both literally and figuratively. The amount of theft will be staggering. Imagine being a crook drinking a 40 on a park bench and a random Amazon package floats by. I'm sure you'll just let it go right?

They're leaving packages on doorsteps RIGHT NOW and the vast majority aren't being stolen.

You think these drones are gonna be floating by on the sidewalk at eye level?

The article states they had to get a license from the FAA. That's not to fly at eye level.

I do think they will lose their shirts being the first out with this. However, they have lots of shirts to lose. But 20 years from now, it will be commonplace.

(06-06-2019 08:46 AM)king king Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 08:44 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  How do you plan on delivering to most of these houses in my neighborhood without going in low to near eye level... certainly under 20 feet?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

It's vertical takeoff and landing. It can come down from anywhere to your porch and leave the package.

Why dont thieves just snatch the packages from the delivery guy coming in at eye level?

If you try to takeoff or land vertically, unless you are delivering to a waterfront backyard, you are going to end up stuck in an oak tree!

(06-06-2019 08:49 AM)king king Wrote:  I'd be willing to venture that some very smart and wealthy people at Amazon put enough thought and money into this BEFORE making the investment to study the feasibility of whether or not it can be done and have decided that it was worth dumping millions into to get off the ground because they can and will deliver packages right to your door in almost any environment without incurring much in the way of theft.

Most companies that sink usually do so after thinking through and investing money into a bad idea. Don't get me wrong, I don't think this will sink Amazon. They can afford to lose here and are diverse enough to withstand it. What will not happen is everyone's schit being delivered via drone.

Over/Under on days until a drone gets shot out of the sky?????

I cant wait to see how they handle a 5 pound box being dropped on someones head at 30 feet high.

(06-06-2019 08:59 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Over/Under on days until a drone gets shot out of the sky?????

Was just chuckling about this.

I watched a few seconds of that video, the thing flying over grass filled open acres in the clear blue Midwest sky.

Wait til these things are trying to go to somewhere in Louisiana, WVa, Texas or where ever.

It’ll be the next snipe hunting game. I know we would have come up with some kind of points system to figure out who the winner was

Just wait until hackers figure out how to take over the drones. Trust me it will happen.

(06-06-2019 09:34 AM)UofMTigerTim Wrote:  Just wait until hackers figure out how to take over the drones. Trust me it will happen.

To me, this is the biggest risk they have, well, other than causing accidents of some form and being sued constantly.