First commercial drone delivery

Sporky

It's the end times!

http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2016/jul/drone-delivery.cfm

guitarfishbay

At least piano delivery services will be ok for some time.  People still buy pianos, right?

hugbot

I wonder how quick it goes. I mean presumably it could just head to its destination in a straight line regardless of roads.

not_the_dj

Plenty of rules and regs (and technical issues) to get through for the UK, but there's certainly loads of money being spent on this drone delivery idea....and loads of articles in the logistics press each month (I work in that sector) so it could well be the future of small parcel delivery. There's a big logistics trade fair in September, and I'm half expecting these things to be buzzing around the halls of the NEC.

Sporky

hugbot said:

I wonder how quick it goes. I mean presumably it could just head to its destination in a straight line regardless of roads.

I think it's probably quite important that it doesn't. People won't generally want the things flying over their gardens, fer instance.

octatonic

Finally I'll have a practical use for my compound bow.

Flanging_Fred

Right, that's it, I'm getting in to falconry. See if I can train one to recognise the Amazon logo and attack!  Bring the goodies home to daddy and Im off down the bootsale on a Sunday morning to flog the ill gotten gains.

Drone piracy FTW! AARRRGGHH!

professorben

Won't people just steal the drones? 

Sporky

How? They lower the delivery from several metres up. And they have GPS; if they're intercepted it'll be known where it happened.

professorben

Yeah but that's the challenge right? It's still attached to the package by a string. 

Bellycaster

Now they need really strong ones that can deliver a Guitar or an Amp in tact, we need not worry about Hermes then.

  

ICBM

Drones are already easily powerful enough to lift a guitar or an amp.



… which has now evolved into this

Chalky

professorben said:

Won't people just steal the drones? 

Of course - especially as it only makes economic sense for the drones to carry low-weight high-value items.

Sporky

Chalky said:

Of course - especially as it only makes economic sense for the drones to carry low-weight high-value items.

How so? Drones are cheaper to operate than trucks. This first delivery was of "Donuts, a cup of coffee, a chicken sandwich and some sweets".

Chalky

Sporky said:

How? They lower the delivery from several metres up. And they have GPS; if they're intercepted it'll be known where it happened.

So? Have you reported your car or house being broken into recently? Location known in both cases but the police aren't overly concerned. Why on earth would they be concerned about a commercial insured drone?!

HAL9000

Isn't drone delivery something to do with William Hague's speeches?

d8m

Just arrived!

TheMarlin

Oh, excellent. Air rifle practice!!

Chalky

Sporky said:

Chalky said:

Of course - especially as it only makes economic sense for the drones to carry low-weight high-value items.

How so? Drones are cheaper to operate than trucks. This first delivery was of "Donuts, a cup of coffee, a chicken sandwich and some sweets".

I don't think that delivery was meant to be a 'viable business model example'.

Sporky

How much does it cost to make a drone delivery then?

thomasross20

I think our company does a motor driver for one of those bad boys. Funny pic lol