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Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

reuters.com

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Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#11

Post by hayksaakian »

TillE wrote: post #4
andykellr wrote: post #2

I'm ok with quiet, unmanned, self-driving delivery trucks that automate the package delivery process. I am not looking forward to delivery drones buzzing around overhead becoming a normal occurrence.

They won't. They're an absurd impracticality anywhere outside of Silicon Valley (suburban homes, no weather ever), and completely unnecessary even in those ideal conditions. People are excited because they're cool toys, not because it actually solves a problem.

When I can get a product faster by ordering online than driving to a store it will be a game changer.

Imagine: saving the 30 minute to 1 hour round trip to a store, or waiting half the time for a driver to wade through traffic at peak hours.

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#12

Post by apendleton »

soylentcola wrote: post #5

I'm curious because every battery operated "drone" I've seen has a pretty limited range and flight time. Some of the higher-end multicopters built for videography can carry a decent camera for maybe a half hour but it seems like for deliveries, you'd be really limited in terms of weight carried and distance. The thing still has to get back to the warehouse even if it manages to land, drop the package, and fly back wi…

I think Google's experiments with drone delivery have been with fixed wing for that reason. Quadcopters' range is just too bad.

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#13

Post by oldfatslow »

khgvljhkb wrote: post #6

Seems pretty inefficient to fly things, because the energy needed to keep it floating in air. Although history tells us never to say never about technology, it seems like having small autonomous robots on wheels. They could travel on the sidewalks in cities, and also go the fastest way straight thru forest (for the many who live outside of cities).

I think flying over a forest would be way easier on a robot than weaving it's way through underbrush. Although, a slithering robot would be pretty awesome!

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#14

Post by jahewson »

hayksaakian wrote: post #11
TillE wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They won't. They're an absurd impracticality anywhere outside of Silicon Valley (suburban homes, no weather ever), and completely unnecessary even in those ideal conditions. People are excited because they're cool toys, not because it actually solves a problem.

When I can get a product faster by ordering online than driving to a store it will be a game changer. Imagine: saving the 30 minute to 1 hour round trip to a store, or waiting half the time for a driver to wade through traffic at peak hours.

I already save the 30 minute trip to the store by ordering online. So all the drone would offer me is to save a few days shipping time (or, back when I lived in the UK, one day. Oh and supermarket delivery is common there too.), which frankly isn't something I'm going to pay much for most of the time. I only drive to the store if I don't know what I'm going to buy and I want to browse in person.

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#15

Post by woah »

TillE wrote: post #4
andykellr wrote: post #2

I'm ok with quiet, unmanned, self-driving delivery trucks that automate the package delivery process. I am not looking forward to delivery drones buzzing around overhead becoming a normal occurrence.

They won't. They're an absurd impracticality anywhere outside of Silicon Valley (suburban homes, no weather ever), and completely unnecessary even in those ideal conditions. People are excited because they're cool toys, not because it actually solves a problem.

In cities it seems like a good idea. Millions of customers are within drone range in Manhattan. Drop packages on a building's roof, a doorman brings them down to the front desk, there you go. It can take several hours to drive a delivery across Manhattan at rush hour.

As for the range, electric cars mean that batteries are receiving a lot more development and economies of scale, plus people have been working on package switching networks for years already now.

Is it going to happen tomorrow? No. But Walmart can afford to be in it for the long haul.

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#16

Post by blktiger »

soylentcola wrote: post #5

I'm curious because every battery operated "drone" I've seen has a pretty limited range and flight time. Some of the higher-end multicopters built for videography can carry a decent camera for maybe a half hour but it seems like for deliveries, you'd be really limited in terms of weight carried and distance. The thing still has to get back to the warehouse even if it manages to land, drop the package, and fly back wi…

According to the article, walmart wants to test a drone delivering a package from a truck and then returning to the truck. If that is the case, then they could use an automated truck to deliver packages to the general area first. Then the drone would activate and deliver the package the last few feet to the door. Presumably, if they did something like this the drones would have their batteries charged while the truck was driving to each location.

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#17

Post by BinaryIdiot »

khgvljhkb wrote: post #6

Seems pretty inefficient to fly things, because the energy needed to keep it floating in air. Although history tells us never to say never about technology, it seems like having small autonomous robots on wheels. They could travel on the sidewalks in cities, and also go the fastest way straight thru forest (for the many who live outside of cities).

While I agree with you that wheels would be more efficient energy wise the problem there is obstacle avoidance (especially if it travels down a long path that is suddenly blocked and it has to return) (thus maybe it's not as energy efficient except for very direct and easy routes) and thievery. Flying solves both of those issues but is expensive energy wise.

I think we'll see this little by little in testing and, maybe in 5-10 years, one of this laboratory "break throughs" in batteries will materialize and drones will be able to fly very far away and this will become cost effective.

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#18

Post by toxican »

mod wrote: post #8
khgvljhkb wrote: post #6

Seems pretty inefficient to fly things, because the energy needed to keep it floating in air. Although history tells us never to say never about technology, it seems like having small autonomous robots on wheels. They could travel on the sidewalks in cities, and also go the fastest way straight thru forest (for the many who live outside of cities).

Flying has got to be more efficient than traveling through a forest. As a person who spends a lot of time in the forest, there's a ton of impassable obstacles. Cliff faces, streams, briar patches, downed logs, etc. The robot on the ground would spend more energy in the forest than the robot in the sky. I think being in the sky also helps keep them from being a target for looting.

>I think being in the sky also helps keep them from being a target for looting.

But then a target for shooting :)

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#19

Post by hyperpallium »

blktiger wrote: post #16
soylentcola wrote: post #5

I'm curious because every battery operated "drone" I've seen has a pretty limited range and flight time. Some of the higher-end multicopters built for videography can carry a decent camera for maybe a half hour but it seems like for deliveries, you'd be really limited in terms of weight carried and distance. The thing still has to get back to the warehouse even if it manages to land, drop the package, and fly back wi…

According to the article, walmart wants to test a drone delivering a package from a truck and then returning to the truck. If that is the case, then they could use an automated truck to deliver packages to the general area first. Then the drone would activate and deliver the package the last few feet to the door. Presumably, if they did something like this the drones would have their batteries charged while the truck…

In the various combinations, I wonder if there's a place for a mini-autonomous van, too small for a person, but can carry a few packages.

The main truck stops regularly along a main road, and releases a few of these tiny vans. The last few feet to the door (tricky to navigate, usually require a "off-road" person) are by drone, as here.

Re: Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery

#20

Post by [deleted] »

hyperpallium wrote: post #19
blktiger wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to the article, walmart wants to test a drone delivering a package from a truck and then returning to the truck. If that is the case, then they could use an automated truck to deliver packages to the general area first. Then the drone would activate and deliver the package the last few feet to the door. Presumably, if they did something like this the drones would have their batteries charged while the truck…

In the various combinations, I wonder if there's a place for a mini-autonomous van, too small for a person, but can carry a few packages. The main truck stops regularly along a main road, and releases a few of these tiny vans. The last few feet to the door (tricky to navigate, usually require a "off-road" person) are by drone, as here.

[deleted]
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