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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19092
Location: PDX12/2/13 9:16 PM |
Amazon Drone Delivery anyone?
"And you think mailbox baseball was fun"
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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT12/3/13 4:09 AM |
The Amazon "Smile" logo looks kinda sinister on those!
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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield12/3/13 6:25 AM |
My first thought was "can this deliver to my balcony?"
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PLee
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 3713
Location: Brooklyn, NY12/3/13 7:35 AM |
No way those things can safely navigate the trees on my street. It's just a publicity stunt.
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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6894
Location: Maine12/3/13 7:41 AM |
signature required?
I guess they could text you when they arrive, and you could walk out and sign a tablet attached to a robotic arm or something. That would be cool.
All I can say is I've owned Amazon stock a long time and I'm glad I have.
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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real12/3/13 8:49 AM |
Parkin is right. It is a stunt.
The drones won't have range or lift capacity. The loading of the package will take to much time. They are all about shipping cheaply and quickly. This is neither. A waste using current tech.
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Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA12/3/13 10:03 AM |
I believe the report I saw said they have a capacity of 5 pounds and a range of 10 miles. A scooter would be just as fast and a lot cheaper to operate, even paying the rider.
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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC12/3/13 10:05 AM |
Delivery using drone would be analogy to delivery using private cars instead of vans. The economy equation is clear to anyone who can think.
But hey, it's marketing! The more outrageous the stunt, the more attention it gets. Ever look at the Geico ads using the "caveman"? It wasn't meant to be believable, just attention grabbing.
I found the whole thing rather entertaining.
But if anyone actually believe in it, well... harmless anyway
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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2816
Location: hillbilly heaven12/3/13 10:27 AM |
The trees and powerlines would be hard to navigate around, but here in WV we love to shoot things. The reds would think it was an Obama drone spying on them and take target practice on them. Kinda reminds me of the Star Wars movie where the sand people take pot shots at the racing pods..
Not a lawyer, but the liability issues seem overwhelming. Could hit a pedestrian, a car, etc.
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Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA12/3/13 10:43 AM |
quote:
Not a lawyer, but the liability issues seem overwhelming.
I believe the correct word is insurmountable. I agree with April, it's an interesting publicity stunt. The probability of it ever overcoming the legal, technical and cost barriers is zero.
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Jesus Saves
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 1150
Location: South of Heaven12/3/13 1:51 PM |
Brilliant! Trees?!? Who needs trees? And powerlines? Clearly Amazon is trying to expand its business into new markets like desert states such as Afghanistan and Iraq. Drones will clearly be a hit there. Trust me. You can take that and the package it delivers to the house! Not for nothing, but it is no coincidence Amazon means genius in Farsi.
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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19092
Location: PDX12/3/13 2:10 PM |
No mistake it was fed to the media in the TG-X-Mas shopping window, no doubt...
Maybe it is a stunt to have their shippers lower prices to dissuade them from it... Pre-emptive vapor-ware anyway...
Still, I like imaging seeing all the bits on the curbs..
Last edited by Sparky on 12/3/13 4:40 PM; edited 1 time in total
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walter
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 4391
Location: metro-motown-area12/3/13 2:47 PM |
total publicity stunt
they're still negotiating with the FAA over how to mix drones with piloted aircraft in controlled airspace. nevermind the fact that drone technology is far from perfectly reliable and safe, so the risk/liability is a huge factor. everyone's made lots of great points about how impractical it is.
hell, the us gubment is still working all this out for the military services, with unmanned airlift into contested/unsafe airspace being the big draw. until they have that figgered out, civilian applications of airlift are a non-starter. here's an article about the K-MAX from last year. http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,241381,00.html
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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield12/3/13 4:40 PM |
60 minutes?
Where did y'all see the whirligig?
60 Minutes for me
It's pretty rare for me to watch that show, so I was wondering if that's where everyone else saw it.
(I still would like a package delivered to my balcony!)
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Jesus Saves
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 1150
Location: South of Heaven12/3/13 4:54 PM |
yes, indeed. here's the link:
60 minutes interview
Very interesting piece indeed
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