amazon to fly your packages to your door!!

[greglepore]

Paul-heard an NPR story today that the regs in 2015 are behind schedule and require line of sight...can you amplify? The LOS thing seems to rule out what Bezos has in mind.

[MT930]

They will be targets of opportunity.

Time to stock up on 3.5'' 12 gauge magnum shells.

You will not be able to resist, I'm guessing most will be filled with jewelry.

And a free pelican box if it's not too shot up.

I'm guessing you will not get delivery service if you live in Class B, C, D air space.

This will drive the The FAA bonkers.

Very cool concept

[widebody911]

Here's a spy photo of the USPS prototype

[asphaltgambler]

I'm surprised that no one here has yet mentioned the crafts' onboard cameras to record real time information that is then stored and later sold

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by greglepore

Paul-heard an NPR story today that the regs in 2015 are behind schedule and require line of sight...can you amplify? The LOS thing seems to rule out what Bezos has in mind.

Currently, all UAS flights in the 55lb and below must be flow with an observer and stay LOS, which is frankly impossible since the UAS I use weight 10lbs, are electric powered and disappear shortly after launch.

The key is that the auto pilots in these things are so accurate (you don't actually "fly" these UAS in the traditional sense: They will fly a pre programmed route exactly or you control them from a GCS with a mouse...point and click where you want the UAS to go, the auto pilot figures out the rest).

We could easily fly BLOS since there is currently no need for a data link for most of our commercial work. We store the data on board for post processing.

The LOS limitation will prevent a lot of what we call "linear" work (pipeline inspections, power line work, etc.) but it is inevitable that at 400agl and below outside of a tower controlled airport BLOS will become reality.

As avionics continue to shrink and power sources become ever more efficient, sat comms with the small UAS will be possible for the linear jobs.

In terms of coming to your house? We do all our flight planning with Digital Elevation Models from the USGS, which we overlay onto google maps or any other mapping programs.

I can select a specific point around your house for the UAS to transit to, land and relaunch, all done automatically. That is the easy part.

[tabs]

How many 100's of thousands of these things will Amazon alone need to have in service to be a viable enterprise? Then comes the logistics of maintence, storage and refueling (recharging), and what about those little delivery containers. Lots of moving parts to this one folks. Then come liabilty, everyone of these things comes with a lawyer attached and it ain't Amazons lawyer (yep I borrowed that one). So good luck to Bezos...

Because you can doesn't mean it is a good idear.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I've been working on a drone that "eats" other drones in mid-air.

[URY914]

Power lines?

Trees?

[targa911S]

Trap shooting with presents!

[cstreit]

Surprised no one has posted this yet...

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Surprised no one has posted this yet...

Ummmm...... maybe try page 1

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

I've been working on a drone that "eats" other drones in mid-air.

Who isn't.

Originally Posted by tabs

How many 100's of thousands of these things will Amazon alone need to have in service to be a viable enterprise? Then comes the logistics of maintence, storage and refueling (recharging), and what about those little delivery containers. Lots of moving parts to this one folks. Then come liabilty, everyone of these things comes with a lawyer attached and it ain't Amazons lawyer (yep I borrowed that one). So good luck to Bezos...

Because you can doesn't mean it is a good idear.

Yep, the sound barrier is a wall in the sky, etc. Advancements in the UAS industry in the last 12 years have been fun to watch and participate in. The future will be as well.

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." -- Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially it is an impossibility." -- Lee DeForest, inventor.

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C', the idea must be feasible." -- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)

"There will never be a bigger plane built." -- A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people.


And Widebody, that picture is genius.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Here's a spy photo of the USPS prototype

I thought they already used that! Chuck some packages in the back of of the truck with it...

Might explain some of the damage I've seen...

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Who isn't.

it's harder than it looks, this is just a prototype, you can see one of the grabbers got mangled in a recent tussle. Air hole just in case it catches a bird.

[dad911]

I wouldn't say never.... But I'm sure Amazon wants to be first in line for patents and airspace.

And they are getting free advertisement every time they make the news.

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Who isn't.



Yep, the sound barrier is a wall in the sky, etc. Advancements in the UAS industry in the last 12 years have been fun to watch and participate in. The future will be as well.

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." -- Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially it is an impossibility." -- Lee DeForest, inventor.

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C', the idea must be feasible." -- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)

"There will never be a bigger plane built." -- A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people.


And Widebody, that picture is genius.

....and Beta will beat VHS

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

it's harder than it looks, this is just a prototype, you can see one of the grabbers got mangled in a recent tussle. Air hole just in case it catches a bird.

All kidding aside, UAS in the battle space are the ultimate asymmetric weapon, flying roadside bombs: Hard to detect, very lethal and, if you do detect it, what do you defeat it with, a missile? They'll have a lot more small UAS than we will have missiles.

The Anti UAS/UAS is he next big app.

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

All kidding aside, UAS in the battle space are the ultimate asymmetric weapon, flying roadside bombs: Hard to detect, very lethal and, if you do detect it, what do you defeat it with, a missile? They'll have a lot more small UAS than we will have missiles.

The Anti UAS/UAS is he next big app.

Damn.....Another reason to never leave Canada.
Crap... I may need to move further north....Or maybe to New Zealand

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by Mark Henry

Ummmm...... maybe try page 1

Now HOW THE *(&(* did I miss that? Getting old is hell...

[trekkor]

I see drone delivery as a thing that NEVER happens.


KT