Zipline Unveils P2 Delivery Drones That Dock and Recharge Autonomously (cnbc.com) 23
Logistics startup Zipline unveiled its next-generation delivery drone, dubbed the Platform 2 or P2 Zip. According to CNBC, the new drone is "capable of carrying up to eight pounds worth of cargo within a ten-mile radius, and can land a package on a space as small as a table or doorstep." That number is important because the vast majority of packages shipped in the U.S. "weigh five pounds or less," says Zipline CEO and co-founder Keller Rinaudo Cliffton. From the report: The P2 Zip can travel ten miles in ten minutes, and the company can make a delivery approximately seven times faster than any typical service you may order from today, the CEO said. Rapid deliveries by drone may put an end to "porch pirates," Rinaudo Cliffton said, referring to the theft of packages left on a doorstep while the customer is away from home. While Zipline's original drone, the P1 Zip, features a fixed wing or glider-like design, the P2 employs both lift and cruise propellers and a fixed wing. These help it maneuver precisely and quietly, even in rainy or windy weather.
To deliver cargo to a customer's door, the P2 Zip hovers around 300 feet above ground level and dispatches a kind of mini-aircraft and container called the "droid." The droid descends on a long thin tether, and maneuvers quietly into place with fan-like thrusters before setting down for package retrieval. Zipline's original P1 drones will remain in production and in wide use, says Rinaudo Cliffton. The P1 Zip can fly a longer distance, delivering up to five pounds of cargo within a 60-mile radius, but it requires a larger space for take off, landings and "the drop."
The P1 Zip lets cargo down with a parachute attached, so its payload lands within a space about the size of two car parking spots. After a P1 Zip returns to base, an employee needs to disassemble it, then set up a new one, dropping in a freshly charged battery for the next flight. Zipline's new P2 Zip can dock and power up autonomously at a charging station that looks something like a street lamp with an arm and a large disc attached to that arm. Zipline docks can be installed in a single parking spot or alongside a building depending on zoning and permits.
To deliver cargo to a customer's door, the P2 Zip hovers around 300 feet above ground level and dispatches a kind of mini-aircraft and container called the "droid." The droid descends on a long thin tether, and maneuvers quietly into place with fan-like thrusters before setting down for package retrieval. Zipline's original P1 drones will remain in production and in wide use, says Rinaudo Cliffton. The P1 Zip can fly a longer distance, delivering up to five pounds of cargo within a 60-mile radius, but it requires a larger space for take off, landings and "the drop."
The P1 Zip lets cargo down with a parachute attached, so its payload lands within a space about the size of two car parking spots. After a P1 Zip returns to base, an employee needs to disassemble it, then set up a new one, dropping in a freshly charged battery for the next flight. Zipline's new P2 Zip can dock and power up autonomously at a charging station that looks something like a street lamp with an arm and a large disc attached to that arm. Zipline docks can be installed in a single parking spot or alongside a building depending on zoning and permits.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
there's nothing you can do on the other end to mitigate that.
Except make a rapid delivery in a window when they'll be there.
Re: Porch pirates are the results of absent recipi (Score:3)
Unless you're walking, I'm sure these small drones would have a much less carbon footprint than taking even the most economical car to the store and back.
Re: (Score:2)
Except make a rapid delivery in a window when they'll be there.
So we'd be back to the days of windows crashing all the time.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Better would be dropping it in a fenced backyard. Still not optimal, and I can imagine technical issues handling trees/lines/etc, which is perhaps why all the promos show a front yard delivery. Still, for its major use case, getting fast food fast, porch pirates are generally not an issue because the user is tracking the delivery. I would expect the app would require a response before and after lowering its loot.
Re: (Score:2)
Better would be dropping it in a fenced backyard. Still not optimal, and I can imagine technical issues handling trees/lines/etc, which is perhaps why all the promos show a front yard delivery.
Because back yards have trees and front yards don't. (???)
Re: (Score:2)
I'm arboreally challenged, you insensitive clod!
Re:Porch pirates are the results of absent recipie (Score:5, Interesting)
allows those packages to sit long enough to be stolen.
Many porch pirates follow the delivery drivers and steal the package just minutes after it was delivered.
In some cases, they are cahoots with the driver, or the driver and the PP are one and the same: The driver goes to the porch, scans the package so the GPS location of the dropoff is properly recorded, and then takes the package back to the van.
Re: (Score:1)
And problems in society driven by a loss of faith in God, as greed and a "me first!" culture takes root
Re: (Score:2)
P1 (Score:2)
For those curious about the P2's predecessor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Now With Maneuvering Thrusters (Score:2)
Not content to slice people and pets with helicopter blades, the new drone will lower a robot down a rope and engage side-oriented chopping whirlys.
Next steps: add ChatGPT to the droid. And blockchain all those packages!
Hmm, what does a drone call a "fence"?
A block-chain!
Robot Delivery (Score:1)
All this flying drone stuff is nonsense. It only works safely when there is a designated landing zone, which could be on the top of a building or in a large yard area (at an industrial site, a ranch, or some residences). Not at ordinary people's typical homes.
What they need are robots that can ambulate from the truck to your door. It has to do rugged terrain (such as damaged walkway stones), avoid fallen branches and discarded obstacles (such as rakes, bicycles, toys, etc.) and it has to understand fences,
Why did the drone crash? (Score:4, Funny)
Neighborhood kids were flying kites
Neighborhood kids were playing football
Neighborhood kids were flying their small racing drones and your's dropped into their race course
Drone tried to land where the dogs were
Neighborhood trees were shedding their nuts, leaves
The cats jumped up and caught the drone
The bees/crickets/mosquitos/ladybugs/etc were swarming and got into the drone
The drone didn't see the clothes lines outside
The drone tried to fly thru where the water sprinklers were on
Looks like the drone collided with a skydiver
Where in the 10 story apartment building did the drone leave the package? Was it on the walkway that crosses the driveway where are the trucks and cars enter?
Re: (Score:2)
Drone tried to land where the dogs were The cats jumped up and caught the drone
My dogs would have a field day with the drone. I had a friend who had a not by his back fence asking delivery people not to toss packages over it as his dogs thought deliveries were actually chew toys ad when they heard a truck pull up camped by the gate for the latest toy to appear form the sky. I could see cats grabbing them as well. I could see them learn to recognize the sound of a drone. Either scenario is likely to result in a load the mother ship can't lift, what does it do? Sever the cable and poten
Re: (Score:2)
To be fair more than half those things would affect ground vehicle deliveries too. Dogs have a well known fondness of couriers, footballs fly out in the street sometimes...
The drone will be insured and you can bet that the insurance company will sue that cat for all it's worth.
Ring the doorbell. (Score:2)
cargo within a ten-mile radius (Score:2)
Drone Delivery area .... (Score:2)
Does not include anyone who lives anywhere near an airport, or a government building, or a military site, or a stadium, or where crowds congregate ... ..and you need to be within 10 miles - so you must be in a city
That's a lot of people who they can't deliver to ...
Side effects (Score:2)
Let's say that drone delivery is the future and better than 50% of packages are delivered via drones.
I am guessing that ground-based, last-mile delivery systems would need to raise prices to account for the drop in custom.
Currently, we are benefiting from a system that somewhat subsidizes larger/heavier package delivery because the volume makes up the difference.
I can imagine that, at some point, getting things delivered via ground service isn't going to be nearly as practical as it is today.
new industry (Score:3)
Dear consumer;
thank you for your order. We at DrugzBeU are shipping your 1 ounce baggie of Purple Brainscramble by Zipline right to your door. By use of anonymous crypto we make the transaction safe and fast. We will text you when the drone is hovering over your home. Look for a claw hanging down on an orange zipline.
sincerely
SkyQueen Gladiola