Two Amazon delivery drones crash into crane in commercial area of Tolleson, AZ

Post by monerozcash » Fri, Oct 03, 2025, 1:04 PM UTC

heavyset_go wrote: post #226

perihelions wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "stay 100m away from tall structures" But then how do you deliver to the upper floors of vertical buildings? That must be half the near-term market for these kinds of drones: people in dense, urban areas well-served by local droneports, who are looking for convenience above all else. If you can't safely manage urban canyons—you can't manage. It'd be like selling self-driving cars that are only approved for private…

> But then how do you deliver to the upper floors of vertical buildings? Elevators, dumbwaiters, baskets and pulleys, or just go downstairs and get it yourself. Also, how tall are we talking? Where have you been where the upper floor windows actually open? edit: the more that I think about this, the more it bothers me. Getting close enough to a building to deliver a package through a window with a drone sounds incred…

Post by UltraSane » Fri, Oct 03, 2025, 2:21 PM UTC

asdff wrote: post #192

UltraSane wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speak for yourself. I want drones to deliver stuff directly to me.

Would be nice to have a sort of assistant drone. Pop open the sunroof "check how far up the road the traffic jam lasts".

Post by hazmazlaz » Fri, Oct 03, 2025, 2:58 PM UTC

alex43578 wrote: post #244

Aeolun wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Drones can reach 1000 ft right? That’s only like 300m. Maybe Amazon doesn’t want to because it costs more battery?

Drones can reach much more than 1000ft, but in the US are not allowed to - 400ft flight ceiling. Ironically, one exception is flying within 400ft of a structure, as you can then go up to the top of the structure and 400ft above that point.

Post by mrguyorama » Fri, Oct 03, 2025, 6:55 PM UTC

johntb86 wrote: post #65

https://www.theverge.com/news/790636/amazon-prime-mk30-drone... gives more information, including that * No one was injured directly, but someone was treated for smoke inhalation * The drones "were flying back to back" * They hit the cable of a crane (including a link to a video showing the crane). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ZpY6qHcTk

Post by mrguyorama » Fri, Oct 03, 2025, 7:01 PM UTC

jfengel wrote: post #38

mothballed wrote: post #17

"Crane" is a highly optimistic word for what looks like a telescoping boom lift. Edit: per below was actually a crane

Today I learned: Boom lifts, available in various models such as mini scissor lifts for sale, spider lifts, and tracked scissor lifts, offer excellent mobility, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness for many tasks. Cranes, on the other hand, are essential for heavy lifting and large-scale projects. I also learned that "spider lifts" look like something a bad guy drives in a sci-fi movie.