Amazon Unveils Delivery By Drone • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Unveils Delivery By Drone

#111

Post by swah » Mon, Dec 02, 2013, 12:02 PM UTC

Skinney wrote: post #107

danenania wrote: post #36

If these get mass adoption, won't it make for highly congested skies in urban areas? Another question is would they be a threat to birds? The technology side is cool, but I don't relish the thought of looking out the window and seeing the air packed with delivery drones going to and fro.

Birds would be a valid concern in the event that they crash into the drone... Drones falling from the sky is due to a pidgin damaging it's rotor would suck. Imagine being hit by a drone and a pidgin :/

Now, if those drones could kill some pigeons on the way...

Re: Amazon Unveils Delivery By Drone

#112

Post by Houshalter » Mon, Dec 02, 2013, 12:18 PM UTC

nyrina wrote: post #109

Houshalter wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Crazy ridiculous idea: have the copters attached to a cable or pole that it drags along the ground, or whatever is necessary so it isn't considered a flying vehicle. Or just fly it really close to the ground. Actually even just a UGV would be pretty useful.

I'll look forward to pulling that cable down and taking the contents of the packages

And it will probably record it and call the police on you. That drones specifically will be targeted for crime is ridiculous. Do you steal packages left out in front of people's houses or mail? What about ATMs and vending machines that are full of cash and just left unattended?

Crime will happen, sure, but it won't be that common and there are easy things that could be done to deter it.

Re: Amazon Unveils Delivery By Drone

#113

Post by Natsu » Mon, Dec 02, 2013, 5:17 PM UTC

jessedhillon wrote: post #103

Natsu wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, no matter how obvious something is, someone will probably be able to find a trivial variation of it to patent. I mean, if you have a Taco Copter, clearly a Burrito Copter is nonobvious. I wonder just how trivial they'd allow something like this. I mean it's obvious enough that you can adapt existing telemetry systems and collision avoidance algorithms to this activity, but I doubt the lawyers think it obvious.

If you think it's so obvious to implement the algorithm in discussion here, feel free to publish it openly and preempt future patent claims.

Oh, that's the thing. In a patent, you only have to describe the general idea. It's not like you put source code or anything useful.

But that's the problem: no matter how many variations of the obvious you list, they'll find something to patent.

Re: Amazon Unveils Delivery By Drone

#114

Post by kybernetikos » Mon, Dec 02, 2013, 6:44 PM UTC

baddox wrote: post #57

decktech wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to go outside to retrieve the package? Deal-breaker.

In all seriousness, there's no reason that homes or apartment complexes couldn't have fairly standardized drone landing pads. Clever people could probably rig up some sort of simple elevator to bring the shipments inside. Incidentally, the landing pads could also be marked in a standard way to assist in computer vision controlled automated landing.

And if you provide a charging point and allow the drone to charge, then delivery is free.

Re: Amazon Unveils Delivery By Drone

#115

Post by founder4fun » Tue, Dec 03, 2013, 3:33 AM UTC

founder4fun wrote: post #42

For me and many it seems file this under hard to believe! It begs me to wonder.... 1. Won't theft of packages run rampant or Amazon only will deploy drones to customers currently home? 2. Wouldn't the drones be subject to be shot or brought down? 3. Will this only fly in good weather? 4. The sky is going to be littered with these things flying around? 5. Will there be a service where you can rent a drone to spy on yo…

Ha this whole thing seems to be just great advertising for Amazon on the heels of cyber monday.