Amazon using robots to deliver, we're all doomed

[Chris34]

http://news.sky.com/story/1176325/amazons-hopes-for-drone-deliveries

Pretty cool and certainly green friendly it ticks all the boxes, but how can an independent compete with that? I'm guessing it will only work for parcels under 1kg.


Chris.

 

[finleydesign]

I'm considering starting selling slingshots as I can see a certain surge in sales if they go ahead

 

[roydmoorian]

Just Google http://matternet.us/

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/jan/09/flying-aid-drones-haiti-dominican-republic

This is a quantum leap in thinking and seems to make a lot of sense for medical supplies - But as a retail add on

 

[fisicx]

Read down the article. The chances of it happening are virtually nil.

You have to have line of sight control which means one man one octocopter.

It's a great idea though.

 

[profscooter]

My cynical take on society tells me as soon as these things are in the air over our towns and cities, people will work out a way of "capturing" them and making off with their contents, it would be a thieves' charter. A postman with a jetpack however, I can see working

 

[antropy]

Well one of our clients sells quadcopters and I'm sure they'd be able to sort out a discount for anyone who wanted a whole fleet
http://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/dji-innova...rol-quadcopter-with-naza-gps-gopro-mount.html

 

[roydmoorian]

Check this video out

http://vimeo.com/28247681

Might not be as far fetched as you think.

 

[Deleted member 59730]

They could have made it to look like santa and his sleigh

 

[Jeff FV]

Wait till you start getting these through the letter box ...

 

I suspect there may be a few problems with ATC,H&S,not to mention the locals shooting them out of the sky.

 

[Nuno]

It was a publicity stunt by Amazon PR.
Hook line and free delivery sinker.

BTW Earl; the locals are shooting down drones at the moment in one of the secluded areas of Colorado or Montana. Paranoia, moonshine and guns is never a great mix.

 

BTW Earl; the locals are shooting down drones at the moment in one of the secluded areas of Colorado or Montana. Paranoia, moonshine and guns is never a great mix.

Looks like the drone shooting season is underway.

Not sure I can get one in me oven.:|

http://news.sky.com/story/1117277/bounty-hunters-told-dont-shoot-down-drones

 

[Chris34]

It was a publicity stunt by Amazon PR.
Hook line and free delivery sinker.

BTW Earl; the locals are shooting down drones at the moment in one of the secluded areas of Colorado or Montana. Paranoia, moonshine and guns is never a great mix.

Possibly, but I think this is serious. Amazon aren't the only ones, they are actually behind the leaders it seems

http://qz.com/152788/australia-and-china-are-way-ahead-of-amazon-in-the-commercial-drone-race/

From an operational view if these drones could each deliver 20 packets a day with the rock bottom delivery price being around £2 via Royal Mail, this means that each drone could save at least £40 per day delivery costs. If the drone costs say £1,000 each (bulk purchase price) they would take 25 work days to get their purchase cost back.

If 1,000 of these drones were delivering parcels across the country, they would be essentially delivering 20,000 packets a day which is a saving of £40,000 per day on delivery costs.

The costs could be further improved if each drone could deliver mulitple packets at a time. If each could deliver 3 packets then each drone would be saving £120 per day delivery costs (£600 per week).

Let's also remember that the goal here is to reduce delivery time. At the current moment there isn't any way of delivering a parcel within a few hours let alone 30 minutes.

The industry is currently at pains to try and figure out how to speed up the delivery process, next day delivery is still too long, customers want everything now, not tomorrow, so it seems a feasible idea to me and one that a true 'entrepreneur' would look at.

It could be a far fetched idea, but then again so could have the Amazon website when it started. He who dares wins



Chris.

 

[Wayne-StarActionFigures]

I think it was just a bit of free advertising for Amazon. A stroke of marketing genuis.

There is no way this could work. For a start there is no way people would not attempt to knock them out of the sky. And if they didn't how many of them would be stolen as they come into land?

What self respecting group of young lads, would ignore these flying over head. It would be like a red rag to a bull!!

In the claim culture we live in, how many "joggers" would spot these coming down out of the sky and run into them and injure themselves so they can sue Amazon.

Brilliant idea but one of pure fantasy IMO. Just a stories thrown out by Amazon to remind everyone that they are still there at this usiest time of the time. Marketing genius!

 

[10032012]

Its all PR. I wouldn't say it was genius... after all drones are far from a new technology. If you can fly a drone armed with missiles and cameras etc. to blow up targets and bring intelligence on aerial locations... then I think you could quite easily have a drone to deliver a few lightweight parcels.

Too bad for Amazon, someone has already worked out a way of hacking the 'drones' in question. No one is going to shoot down the drones, you might damage the parcel... you just hijack the drone and land it in the nearest park... steal the contents and burn the drone...

Even military drones have been hijacked before, normally about spoofing the GPS system. basically anything using radiowaves... you just need a transmitter that is more powerful locally to take over.

Not sure about the US, but it would be illegal to operate drones in the UK. Plus a drone flying over your land would be trespass. Its not delivered until someone rings your doorbell/knocks on the door, and gets a signature. GPS records isn't really a piece of evidence, if its dumped in your driveway/back garden, when it could be stolen by anyone or collected by the drone and taken away again lol

This PR was dreamed up years back... what I would like to know is, how many idiots purchased products from amazon so it could be delivered before xmas by a drone?! lol

 

[dx3webs]

I wish our press release regarding our plans for our Lunar data centre scheduled for 2087 had got as much traction... must speak to our marketing dept.