FAA approves Amazon drone delivery !!

[Ty Pilot]

A typical Amazon, FedEx or UPS truck does around 150 to 200 stops a day delivering upwards of 250 packages for suburban residential delivery, and this is performed by one employee and can be done in nearly all weather conditions.

If you stop to consider, not only how many aircraft it would take to perform that number of individual sorties in the same time frame (assuming weather was not an issue), but also how many more employee's (the real cost) would need to be involved to carry out those missions, it becomes obvious that the decision to deliver anything by a UAV is not one based on economics.

Add to this; of everything sold by Amazon, what percentage fits within the weight and size parameters and it really can only be a very small fraction of items. I think they are doing it because they can and it's a gimmick/publicity stunt at the moment but maybe it is also getting their foot in the door for something down the road.

 

[zocalo]

Apart from all of the many logistical problems (how will it pick a suitable, clear landing site, how will it identify the correct address and so on), I'm struggling to see the need for this. If you're close enough to an Amazon hub to make it practical, there's no real need to use a drone. If you're in some remote, off-the-grid area, the drone probably wouldn't reach you anyway. This is also clearly an impractical solution for use in a congested, urban area. Seems more like doing it because you can rather than because there's a practical reason

I don't think finding the right property is an issue. I'm pretty sure a customer could click on a map to provide GPS co-ords, or Amazon could just link it into to What Three Words giving them a 3m x 3m target landing zone and get the GPS that way, then AI on the drone can then presumably identify the bounds of the property and a suitable landing spot within it. Besides, navigation tools have detail down to house numbers in many areas already, and given Amazon's tracking I wouldn't be at all surprised if when Amazon's drivers currently make a conventional delivery when they tick the box to say where they've delivered it GPS co-ordinates are captured and associated with the customer. We can also probably expect ranges to continue to increase as battery and drone tech improves.

Some potential usage cases I can see:

• Expedited deliveries near distribution hubs. Whether they really *need* it that fast or not is beside the point; the customer just needs to believe (or be made to believe through the power of marketing) that they do. (You can almost see the ads now; the pre-watershed version, where the toddler's favourite toy breaks, and the post watershed versions where someone finishes up to find there's no TP, or someone pulls and urgently needs some protection/a morning after pill).
• Rural distribution clusters. These are not Mavics and are going to have a decent range, so if you have several deliveries within that operational radius, then all the driver needs to do is park up in a central location (ideally where there is another delivery) and launch the drones. This being Amazon, while they wait will no doubt be classed as a break from driving for health and safety etc. Saves on fuel, and potentially on having to deal with quite so many flats due to driving on unpaved roads (think "no left turn" type efficiencies of scale).
• Deliveries within walled residences when the wealthy (but not wealthy enough to have staff) owner is out, without all that hassle of having to let some random person through the gate.
• Doing to Deliveroo / Uber Eats, etc. what Uber keeps saying they are going to do to taxi drivers (including their own); seriously, is there *any* gig economy job that isn't being mooted as a candidate for automation?
• Some people *really* just don't like having strangers on their property.
• Some people also *really* like to think they're living in The World of Tomorrow and/or trendy. Think the kind of people who blow $$$ on trivial things like a single T-shirt or pair of sneakers because it make them feel like it helps project a certain image (other than having more money than sense, obviously).

Whether those ideas (or whatever it is that Amazon might actually be thinking of) will prove financially viable or not remains to be seen. Amazon's record on innovation and breaking into new markets is pretty good, especially compared to Google's "throw random things at the wall and see what sticks" approach, (YMMV on the execution in both instances), but it's not perfect, and I think this could one go either way.

 

[lookout]

Problem: It ain't gonna find it's way around the forest on some properties. Drones don't work too good in anything other than straight up and down when it comes to landing and take off.

Might find their deliveries on the roof. And that's if it is flat top.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

I’m with what was posted above. I consider myself a fairly regular Amazon user (at least a couple packages a week) and I’m trying to think of what I would really need to have in 30 mins other than maybe a time I ran out of batteries and needed some next day. Fortunately we have a large distribution center only hours away so there are many items that are next day delivery which already impresses me quite a bit. Time to go search Google for the trials they’ve run....

Eggs?

 

[Cw4bray]

I might make sense if .... big if ... the delivery was on a remote island where ferry boat turnaround time was done just a couple of times a day. Walmart would be wise to hold off until the jury is finalized on this operation.

 

[JAW]

Can UPS and FedEx drones be far away?

 

[lookout]

Can UPS and FedEx drones be far away?

USPS! ??

Gonna have trouble hitting those mailboxes...

 

[SxSmith]

This is good news for drone hobbyists. After the initial mass hysteria of drones seen in neighborhoods, it will go away over time. Also more news about what happens to people shooting at commercial drones will end that nonsense. Someday (soon) someone seeing your drone around your neighborhood will be the same as seeing your car drive down the street. Waiting for the first news report of someone shooting an Amazon drone and the consequences of doing so.

 

[SxSmith]

Does no one remember this ad?

 

[STKNRUD]

Want to bet Amazon gets into the pharmaceutical distribution service? All places that have helipads or parking lots. That is a very large business business that parallels Amazon‘s warehouse and distribution service. I am sure FedEx is looking at that as medical deliveries are very large for them and UPS.

 

[silverdragon]

The way I see it, if its human interaction Man loading a drone for deliveries, I see human error in loading and securing product to a drone. I see items falling from the sky, I see drones from the sky, I see a human or mechanized vehicles getting nailed by packages and or by drones... I have a vision, it's not pretty.

 

[lookout]

The way I see it, if its human interaction Man loading a drone for deliveries, I see human error in loading and securing product to a drone. I see items falling from the sky, I see drones from the sky, I see a human or mechanized vehicles getting nailed by packages and or by drones... I have a vision, it's not pretty.

Wouldn't tossing your packages around until they reach your doorstep be a whole lot easier? Wouldn't need a drone if that's all you're gonna do with the deliveries.

 

[Cw4bray]

Wouldn't tossing your packages around until they reach your doorstep be a whole lot easier? Wouldn't need a drone if that's all you're gonna do with the deliveries.

I would've hit the "like" button twice, but that's not an option.

 

[dronerdave]

Right now almost every delivery person sets the package on my front patio. Most of the time they take the precaution of making the package as less visible as possible to porch pirates. If they dump it in the middle of the lawn for all to see it will be the last Amazon delivery I'll except.

 

[Flying_Five_Oh]

The technical term for this is "Skeet with prizes"! [emoji1787]

mikeg

Hahaha my thoughts exactly!

 

[Repaid1]

Right now almost every delivery person sets the package on my front patio. Most of the time they take the precaution of making the package as less visible as possible to porch pirates. If they dump it in the middle of the lawn for all to see it will be the last Amazon delivery I'll except.

Considering that the goal is 30 minutes or less once you order, don't you think the chances are quite astronomical that you will be right there at home waiting for said delivery...I mean seeing as you paid a hefty price to have it that quick?

People also have failed to realize that "porch pirates" routinely stalk the delivery vehicles, something you won't be able to do with a Drone Delivery, it will only be on scene about 1 minute or less. So unless you have a neighborhood of thugs patrolling your block, drone delivery is going to be a bit more secure.

 

[dronerdave]

Considering that the goal is 30 minutes or less once you order, don't you think the chances are quite astronomical that you will be right there at home waiting for said delivery...I mean seeing as you paid a hefty price to have it that quick?

People also have failed to realize that "porch pirates" routinely stalk the delivery vehicles, something you won't be able to do with a Drone Delivery, it will only be on scene about 1 minute or less. So unless you have a neighborhood of thugs patrolling your block, drone delivery is going to be a bit more secure.

With all the scumbags walking up and down my street, a box in the middle of my front lawn isn't gonna stay put long. But I kinda see your point. If I knew it would be there in a quick time frame...maybe I'd hang around home. I just needed some foam tac in the middle of building an aircraft the other day. It would have been nice not having to drive downtown to get it provided they offer free flight shipping w/i 30 min but it's a rare day when I need something small NOW!

 

[lookout]

This is good news for drone hobbyists. After the initial mass hysteria of drones seen in neighborhoods, it will go away over time. Also more news about what happens to people shooting at commercial drones will end that nonsense. Someday (soon) someone seeing your drone around your neighborhood will be the same as seeing your car drive down the street. Waiting for the first news report of someone shooting an Amazon drone and the consequences of doing so.

And the difference between just required to have part 107 and using part 107 for commercial purposes is what?

Only if you shoot down a commercial delivery drone?