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Amazon Prime Air - New details on its plan for a drone superhighway in the sky

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phaonaut

Member
Screen_Shot_2015-07-28_at_8.18.15_AM.0.png

This morning, at NASA's UTM Convention, Amazon announced details of a plan designed to solve these kinds of problems. The company laid out its vision for a multi-tiered superhighway in the sky, one in which all drones flying above 200 feet would have the ability to communicate with — and ideally sense and avoid — other aircraft. It’s an attempt to put an end to the Wild West atmosphere that has been the norm for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) over the last five years, replacing it with a next-generation air traffic control system. It hopes to establish a basic regulatory framework and set of technical standards that manufacturers can work toward. All this would prepare the airspace for a time when thousands, even tens of thousands of drones fly over the average city delivering parcels, monitoring air quality, and handing out parking tickets.


Amazon’s proposal, which is in line with similar ideas floated by NASA and Google, would create a slow lane for local traffic below 200 feet and a fast lane for long-distance transport between 200 and 400 feet. Altitudes between 400 and 500 feet would become a no-fly zone, and anything above that is already against FAA regulations for hobbyists.

The FAA seems to be giving NASA leeway to take the lead. NASA in turn seems eager to work with the private sector. It’s partnered with Verizon on a new program, with support from Google and Amazon, that would allow cell towers to serve as nodes in this system, helping to track drones and exchange critical information between aircraft and fleets.

More in the article.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/28/9058211/amazon-new-details-plan-delivery-drone


Interesting stuff, so will sky in the future look like Blade Runner / Fifth Element.

2365_5.jpg
 

Squalor

Junior Member
So this isn't going to be allowed in D.C., right, since the entire district is a no-fly zone for remote controlled aircraft?
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
This is going to be the future. Soon we'll really have traffic jams up in the skies with all the amazon packages people are ordering.

It's goddamn amazing.
 

Bsigg12

Member
This is going to be the future. Soon we'll really have traffic jams up in the skies with all the amazon packages people are ordering.

It's goddamn amazing.

I'm more terrified of the people who will shoot the things down (or at least shoot at them) because they have no idea what they are.
 

phaonaut

Member
I'm more terrified of the people who will shoot the things down (or at least shoot at them) because they have no idea what they are.

Some people will do so purposely, but with the FAA involved they will probably only get that chance once before huge fines/jail time.

I don't get how Prime Air would work in an urban environment when people live in apartments.
Probably deliver to the building itself if your buidling has a doorman or front office. I'm sure there are lots of unique ideas to work this problem out. For example, what if Amazon app sends you a message that your package is outside, but the drone doesn't descend until you tell it you are ready that way you can be outside to grab it. (there is probably a time limit to this, but still you get the idea)
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
I'm more terrified of the people who will shoot the things down (or at least shoot at them) because they have no idea what they are.

Come on now, give people a little credit. This would be in the news if it actually were to happen.

Besides, these won't deliver to the countryside where all the dumb gun-toting hillbillies live either.
 

styl3s

Member
I'm more terrified of the people who will shoot the things down (or at least shoot at them) because they have no idea what they are.
I'm more terrified of the people who will shoot them down and find ways to take them down to steal my shit. The stereotypical swap living rednecks isn't as big you as you think and the kind of people who would be outside drinking a natural ice seeing a drone going WHAT THE HELL IS THAT MAMA GET THE SHOTGUN aren't going to be anywhere near these routes anyways.
 

clove

Neo Member
Really hope this happens. I imagine a huge volume of Amazon packages are less than 1 or 2kg; this could conceivably remove a decent bit of postal traffic when you add it all up.
 

Walpurgis

Banned
What if a drone falls and kills someone.
I feel like no one is thinking about this.
That's definitely a possibility (more like a certainty). I wonder how large the packages will be. A bed falling from the sky could kill someone or destroy their house. Imagine a drone falling into car traffic. Yikes.
 

phaonaut

Member
What if a drone falls and kills someone.
I feel like no one is thinking about this.

They can program routes which they believe people are unlikely to be walking, even making flight paths over streets vs pavement would make a difference.

That's definitely a possibility (more like a certainty). I wonder how large the packages will be. A bed falling from the sky could kill someone or destroy their house. Imagine a drone falling into car traffic. Yikes.

I think this program is aimed at smaller items, a bed would take small helicopter to deliver it.
 

Ishida

Banned
I don't get how Prime Air would work in an urban environment when people live in apartments.

You are casually resting on a room on your apartment on floor 13, when suddenly a drone comes crashing through the window.

"Delivery!" - The drone speaks in robotic voice as it drops a small box on your living room.

The drone then flies out of your broken window into the sunset.
 

Syriel

Member
I'm more terrified of the people who will shoot the things down (or at least shoot at them) because they have no idea what they are.

"Hey, that looks like an Xbox logo!"
"Ma, get me my rifle! I'm gettin' me an Xbox ONE!"

Probably deliver to the building itself if your buidling has a doorman or front office. I'm sure there are lots of unique ideas to work this problem out. For example, what if Amazon app sends you a message that your package is outside, but the drone doesn't descend until you tell it you are ready that way you can be outside to grab it. (there is probably a time limit to this, but still you get the idea)

Doorman? Bah. I want packages dropped off on my balcony!
 
That's definitely a possibility (more like a certainty). I wonder how large the packages will be. A bed falling from the sky could kill someone or destroy their house. Imagine a drone falling into car traffic. Yikes.

lol they won't be shipping beds this way. This is for smaller items that are light enough to be flown by a small drone and small enough to fit inside the box shown below.

amazon-looking-to-test-prime-air-delivery-drones.jpg
 

clove

Neo Member
You are casually resting on a room on your apartment on floor 13, when suddenly a drone comes crashing through the window.

"Delivery!" - The drone speaks in robotic voice as it drops a small box on your living room.

The drone then flies out of your broken window into the sunset.

I prefer to picture it crashing through a different window on its way out.
 

Walpurgis

Banned
lol they won't be shipping beds this way. This is for smaller items that are light enough to be flown by a small drone and small enough to fit inside the box shown below.

amazon-looking-to-test-prime-air-delivery-drones.jpg
That doesn't look too bad but depending on the height, it could turn into a giant bullet.
 

Syriel

Member
lol they won't be shipping beds this way. This is for smaller items that are light enough to be flown by a small drone and small enough to fit inside the box shown below.

amazon-looking-to-test-prime-air-delivery-drones.jpg

"Those drone parts are expensive."
"Much cheaper to order a $5 DVD and just take what you need off the Amazon drone!"

I can see that happening at some point.


Edit: Shakes fist at Orin GA. Beaten by seconds. ;)
 
]I'm more terrified of the people who will shoot them down and find ways to take them down to steal my shit. [/B]The stereotypical swap living rednecks isn't as big you as you think and the kind of people who would be outside drinking a natural ice seeing a drone going WHAT THE HELL IS THAT MAMA GET THE SHOTGUN aren't going to be anywhere near these routes anyways.

Easily avoided with cameras and live data upload. You bring it down? They'll have a gps tag and good odds that they'll also snap a picture of whoever did it.
 

Oppo

Member
um

if we have this level of automation

I don't think they're going to hand out parking tickets 'cause the Google Cars will already be here

are they just anticipating battery life being a solved issue, or do they have something for power I don't know about?
 

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
lol they won't be shipping beds this way. This is for smaller items that are light enough to be flown by a small drone and small enough to fit inside the box shown below.

amazon-looking-to-test-prime-air-delivery-drones.jpg
Yea, I think you are under estimating how big drones that can carry things actually are. That picture you show has no real object for scale, but I bet those props are somewhere between 8-12" spinning incredibly fast, plus the weight of the drone. Shit is dangerous as fuck.
 

strikeselect

You like me, you really really like me!
The thought of never having an opportunity to look at a clear sky without a drone getting in the way is troubling.

Old man yelling at clouds and all that but man.. I feel odd about this news and it's future implications.
 
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