Amazon Shows Off New All-Electric Prime Air Drone That Will Start Delivering Packages 'Within Months' (geekwire.com) 66
Amazon's drone ambitions took another step forward on Wednesday as the tech giant revealed its latest delivery drone design. From a report: At Amazon's re:MARS Conference, Amazon executive Jeff Wilke showed off a fully-electric drone that can fly up to 15 miles and deliver packages under five pounds in less than 30 minutes. The new drone will start making deliveries to customers "within months," Wilke said, but did not provide further details. The new hexagonal design looks quite different than the experimental drones that made Amazon Prime Air's first aerial drop-offs in England in 2016 and in California in 2017. "Our newest drone design includes advances in efficiency, stability and, most importantly, in safety," Wilke wrote in a blog post. "It is also unique, and it advances the state of the art. How so? First, it's a hybrid design. It can do vertical takeoffs and landings -- like a helicopter. And it's efficient and aerodynamic -- like an airplane. It also easily transitions between these two modes -- from vertical-mode to airplane mode, and back to vertical mode." Amazon added that these drones are going to use "stereo vision in parallel with sophisticated AI algorithms" to detect people and animals from above. "A customer's yard may have clotheslines, telephone wires, or electrical wires. Wire detection is one of the hardest challenges for low-altitude flights. Through the use of computer-vision techniques we've invented, our drones can recognize and avoid wires as they descend into, and ascend out of, a customer's yard," the company added in a statement.
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Noise (Score:5, Insightful)
So judging by the video, the Amazon drones will be soaring through the air leaving behind a trail of beautiful piano sonatas, eh? Show us what it really sounds like and let us comment on whether we want them in the air above our neighborhoods...
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Show us what it really sounds like...
What it really sounds like is your neighbor's package dropping on your roof. Dragging the ladder out of the garage. Screaming while falling off. And landing in the hedges.
Again.
Re:Noise (Score:4, Funny)
that's fine, we don't have hedges here. so the scream will only happen once, then problem solved
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If it falls on my roof, it will sound like the package is mine. I would like to see my neighbor (or anyone else) try to take it as I live in a Castle Doctrine [wikipedia.org] state.
You know, iamatotalbadass is not registered on Slashdot. You should get it while you can. Because you are such a total bad ass.
I'm getting iamasarcastictwit before it's too late.
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I was thinking the sound will probably be more like a loud buzzing followed by a couple of shotgun blasts.
On a side note - given that was obviously filmed in eastern Washington, they should've shown the drone navigating a field of wind turbines.
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(Or does it only carry small cargo inside its body?)
(small) wing lift is a continuous function (Score:2)
"transitioning to airplane mode" is probably a bit misleading. It's more of a continuous gradient between more rotor lift and more wing lift.
Bog standard helicopters get significant lift from forward motion, the rotor working as a long, skinny wing, and other parts working as crappy wings. Any multirotor needs to tilt forward in order to fly forward. As it flies tilted forward as a multirotor, the outrigger wing will develop some lift even at 1 knot airspeed. The faster it flies, the more lift the wing ge
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I can choose not to allow Alexa into my home. I can't do anything about this.
but will it (Score:2)
but will it open boxes and lock it to keep packages safe from porch pirates. a lot of customers are now getting boxes that can be locked because of porch pirates becoming the norm.
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Dude, the package is on your roof. Totally safe from porch pirates.
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Lots of us live in places where this isn't a big problem. I've never had a package stolen from out front, plus If it's getting delivered in 30 minutes I'd imagine I could just wait for it to arrive.
Seems a little early, haven't convinced the public (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Seems a little early, haven't convinced the pub (Score:5, Insightful)
Indeed. They will do some meaningless stunt "within months" and then there will be nothing for years.
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You're not required to file a flight plan. The "beacon" on aircraft is a transponder. It doesn't alert other aircraft, it's used by ATC to track aircraft from the ground. Flight maps (including digital maps) have the altitude of tall structures.
All of these things are pre-"drone". Nothing to see here.
Months... (Score:2)
Question for my local gun store . . . (Score:2)
I can find the bird shot, rat shot and buck shot on you shelves . . .
. . . but where is the drone shot . . . ?
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I'm sure #8 shot will do fine. Good balance between destructive power but won't travel real far so it'll knock the drone out of the sky but won't inadvertently damage the neighbors house or risk injuring somebody.
Just be careful where the drone is going to crash, because that might damage a neighbors house or injure somebody.
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regular birdshot will do it. Oh and don't forget a Silencer [youtube.com] YMMV
Flies over property then it's mine (Score:2)
Just saying
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Are all the butterflies, birds, clouds, 747s, stars yours too?
And the moon, Janet. I'll lasso that for you, too!
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My net says I do.
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Unfortunately, no. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Gotta Catch 'em All (Score:5, Funny)
I see a new version of Pokemon go, except instead of a pokeball you shoot a arrow with a rope attached.
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They already know these two things, dumbass [wikipedia.org]*.
Fun fact: when you search for "dumbass" on Google, it gives you the Wikipedia block of information about Eric Forman. Someone at Google has a sense of humour.
Sounds okay (Score:2)
Personally I'd be fine with a drone dropping stuff on my porch or at the back of my home. I'd be more comfortable with it than having some random guy/gal coming up to my door.
As for data collection, I have to laugh at the idea- not that it will be done, but at the fact that it's already being done. Everywhere, all the damn time.
First of all, most of my home can be viewed from Google Earth and Street View. I don't care if they get imagery of my roof or side yard.
Second, you're on camera almost everywhere you
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"Personally I'd be fine with a drone dropping stuff on my porch..."
For those of us with covered porches, I'm wondering how they'll deal with it. Will they just leave it on the walkway, or driveway? I've had that happen before, only to get home and find a soaked box from the rain.
Hazmat? (Score:2)
Orders a pound of FFFG Black Powder and a bottle of Diethyl Ether, and a 1000 strike anywhere matches.
What could possibly go wrong? /s
theft may go up (Score:2)
I see theft and loss of merchandise going up a few years after this as people figure out and develop ways to steal from it. And then an escalation of arms.
Wont need birdshot, and I'm sure they will go out of style quickly as thye can fly high enough to be out of reach easy, and firing guns within citi limits will bring unwanted attention....
They launch places will be known ,and their loud buggers that can be found easily.
I'm thinking people using their own drones, to take down or capture the slower moving
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It's not theft if your trained falcon takes it down. Then it's prey.
Please, order more meals to go from amazon, they get hungry.