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Businesses Transportation

Amazon Builds a New Drone - But Is It Falling Behind Other Drone Delivery Services? (axios.com) 39

Posted by EditorDavid from the droning-on dept.
Axios reports: As Amazon prepares to debut its long-delayed Prime Air drone delivery service, it's also showing off a smaller, quieter drone that will be ready in 2024 and could be making regular deliveries in major cities by the end of the decade.

The 80-pound hexagon-shaped aircraft, about 5 and a half feet in diameter, is nimble enough to make deliveries in highly populated areas such as Boston, Atlanta and Seattle. It'll be more capable and less intrusive than the model Amazon is using in its Prime Air service, which will begin in two markets — Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas — in the coming weeks.... Thousands of items could be eligible for drone delivery as long as they fit in one box and weigh less than 5 pounds total.
The drones fly 50 miles per hour (80 km), according to the article, and "Upon arrival, the drone descends, scans the area to make sure it's clear, then drops the box from a height of about 12 feet." (With sturdy packaging to eliminate the need for parachutes or lines.) This drone can even fly in light rain, according to Axios, and has "sense-and-avoid" safety features "that allow it to operate at greater distances while skirting other aircraft, people, pets and obstacles." One Amazon executive estimates that by 2030 Amazon will be delivering 500 million packages by drone each year.

But Axios also suggests Amazon may be lagging its competitors. Walmart already has $3.99 drone delivery in six states — for up to 100,000 different products, weighing up to 10 pounds. And there's also other drone delivery services from Zipline and Google-owned Wing that have already launched limited-area commercial services.
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Amazon Builds a New Drone - But Is It Falling Behind Other Drone Delivery Services? More

Amazon Builds a New Drone - But Is It Falling Behind Other Drone Delivery Services?

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  • Exciting Times (Score:5, Funny)

    by TwistedGreen ( 80055 ) on Monday December 05, 2022 @12:31AM (#63103150)
    Live Chat -> I'm sorry our drone dropped a 5lb box on your cat from 12 feet up, will 1 month of free Prime membership solve your issue?

  • Amazon is falling behind in general (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    I noticed Amazon is really struggling with deliveries this year.

    They're going to have to go back to using proper delivery services otherwise they're going to get hit hard. I believe they have pushed their workers too far and the whole model is collapsing.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Yep...I'd been habitually defaulting to Amazon...but then some of their prices got so out of control, that I knew I had to start looking at other options. JFC...WALMART, is so much better on pricing, and their delivery is as good, or better than Amazon's is right now. I know "shopping around" should be common sense...but I got complacent...and hated actually going INTO Walmart to shop.

      That being said, I don't think this is a "worker issue" with Amazon...they're just getting too greedy with product pricing

      • Oh look, a paid "Amazon is not that bad to workers" post

        Also contains "I hate going into walmart"

        How fucking pathetic

        • At least they're learning to make these slightly more believable. Who DOESN'T hate going to walmart?

        • I'd be surprised if a paid post started off by saying Amazon's prices are out of control.

        • It says (in so many words) they're buying from Walmart (using their delivery service) and not Amazon....the stated reasoning being that they found Walmart's pricing and delivery is as good or better.

          Yeah...quite the conspiracy you uncovered.

  • Buy from Amazon? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by bradley13 ( 1118935 ) on Monday December 05, 2022 @03:55AM (#63103344) Homepage

    I ordered from Amazon yesterday, precisely because I wanted a cheap knockoff of a genuine product. No place better! For everything else, I use other webshops, because you just cannot trust Amazon any longer: it is difficult to tell genuine stuff from knockoffs, to tell who will be shipping your order, etc, etc..

    TFA: I do not see how drone delivery can really work. They are unlikely to fly the drone onto your porch - there would be far too many problems with roofs, hanging pots, wind chimes, or whatever. The drone certainly cannot open the door to an apartment building foyer. So are they going to drop the package on your lawn? In the middle of a driveway or parking lot? Think rain. Think package thieves. I honestly cannot see how this is a good idea.

  • Service looking for a purpose ... (Score:4, Informative)

    by JasterBobaMereel ( 1102861 ) on Monday December 05, 2022 @04:22AM (#63103380)

    ..If you live anywhere near an airport, a military base, or any other restricted airspace - or most of Europe where drones are not allowed in built up areas .... then they can't deliver to you ...

  • Is it just me or can others see the obvious health and safety flaw here? Whether it be a snoozing cat or dog, or your granny, or a toddler in the garden fascinated by a hovering thing overhead, dropping something weighing up to ten pounds from a height of twelve feet is really not a good plan.

  • Walmart drones (Score:3)

    by votsalo ( 5723036 ) on Monday December 05, 2022 @05:48AM (#63103516)
    The most interesting part of this story is about the Walmart drones (zipline), which fly like airplanes, with wings (and therefore more efficiently) and drop packages from much higher, with a small disposable parachute. They do not have wheels. They launch from a catapult and "land" by flying into a special wire that hooks them. If you live in a city, with no yard, I can imagine that you could arrange for your package to be delivered to an open area in your neighborhood. Perhaps there could be designated "drop fields" where people would go to receive their packages.

    • Re:Walmart drones (Score:5, Interesting)

      by CrankyFool ( 680025 ) on Monday December 05, 2022 @07:20AM (#63103612)
      "Perhaps there could be designated 'drop fields' where people would go to receive their packages" So, like ... a store? But where you've already paid for the item? And nobody's making sure that somebody didn't just walk away with it? This is like Amazon deciding that in my town, deliveries are happening in a park so I need to go to the park to pick up my package when it's "delivered." This ain't delivery.

      • "a store? But where you've already paid for the item?"
        So, like... a post office?

      • Delivery in a nearby park is fine with me, and so is walking or biking to the store. The point is to avoid driving to the store. It does present some challenges though. I was thinking the package would be dropped only if you are waiting for it on the ground. You will somehow synchronize with the service so you'd know what time the package will be there, and when you get there you will notify the drone. But what will the drone do if you are not there on time? Circle above? Take the package back to the

    • If you live in a city, with no yard, I can imagine that you could arrange for your package to be delivered to an open area in your neighborhood. Perhaps there could be designated "drop fields" where people would go to receive their packages.

      If there was a drop field where packages were falling out of the sky people would be rushing the field to grab these presents from heaven. It will be like The Hunger Games, you will have to go there armed to fight for your packages.

      • How is this different from thieves going to a store or waiting outside and grabbing your packages? If you see thugs waiting around, you'd cancel the drop. Receiving a package will feel like taking part in a commando operation.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by grogger ( 638944 )
        If you live in a city without yards the population density means van delivery would be affordable. I imagine this is more for big-lot suburb or rural delivery. I for one would pay for a seat overlooking the stadium they dropped the packages in for Uptown Manhattan though. The fights over the XBox X - sized boxes would be epic. Particularly if they followed axe and knife-set deliveries.

  • Is any drone delivery service even a viable business plan?

  • With InHome, a Walmart employee will place an order right in your refrigerator.

    Why do I want Walmart employees in my fridge? Just leave the damn bag on the counter and get out! Better yet, ring the doorbell and don't come in to start with.

  • Dropping a box from 12 feet seems like a Bad Idea.

    What's next? Delivery by Trebuchet?

  • can open my parcel box to keep packages from being stolen- pass
  • This will revitalize the slingshot and steel ball bearing industry!

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