# THE AMAZON DRONES ARE COMING!!!



## D.L. Shutter (Jul 9, 2011)

Just saw it on 60 minutes as I'm sure many of you did as well.

http://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-60-minutes-surprise-2013-12

OMFG, the noise (fear-mongering/whining) from the legacy camp will be epic on this one.


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## cvwriter (May 16, 2011)

Oh, THAT kind of drone.


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

That's hilarious! 30 minute delivery via PrimeAir.


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## GearPress Steve (Feb 4, 2012)

Amazon is building a huge new distribution center a few miles from my house. Maybe they'll send some drones to deliver my stuff.


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## 41413 (Apr 4, 2011)

Oh God. I'm already so pathetically addicted to Prime with overnight shipping for $3.99. There's an Amazon facility about two hours (driving) outside of my town, too - this would just be...bad...so very bad... My wallet is aching at the idea.

_I wants it, my precious._


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

My first thought was, OMG, our members already obsessively check the UPS tracking--what will they do with this?  I'd be standing on my front porch waiting...

Betsy


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## Not Here Anymore (May 16, 2012)

David Stephens said:


> Those are going to be a lot of fun to shoot down.


And think of the weather issues. Will Amazon have status updates: drone fleet grounded because of heavy wind....


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## Jerri Kay Lincoln (Jun 18, 2011)

David Stephens said:


> Those are going to be a lot of fun to shoot down.


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## 41413 (Apr 4, 2011)

David Stephens said:


> Those are going to be a lot of fun to shoot down.


Until they implement Amazon Prime Force Fields.

Also, if anyone shoots down the "I need to have this NOW" Mama Lupe's Low Carb Tortillas on the way to my house, I will punish them with with the force of a thousand fists.


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## KMatthew (Mar 21, 2012)

I want one.   

How . . . do they not expect people to steal these? 

And on another semi-related note, can you imagine the sky filled with drones?


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## Crime fighters (Nov 27, 2013)

I love technology.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

"You just keep thinking, Jeff, that's what you're good at."


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## D.L. Shutter (Jul 9, 2011)

> Those are going to be a lot of fun to shoot down.


And I can't help but think that when John Sergeant got off his flight in Seattle he was thinking how much fun he would have watching Bezos squirm and sweat when he threatened to pull all McMillians titles from Zon. 

Besides, shooting down Zon drones might get you completely banned.

Or maybe worse


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## Adam Poe (Apr 2, 2012)

The Jetson's told me I would have teleportation delivery by the year 2000. Skip the drones and get to work, Amazon.


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## katherinef (Dec 13, 2012)

Is that one of those things that shoot you in the head when you come out for the package?


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## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

I notice the man stays inside the house till the drone lives in the video.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I'm watching 60 minutes now... interesting, for sure.  That is funny that the person stays inside..

I can just imagine clouds of Amazon drones dropping packages.

Maybe he can make them "go between" like Anne McCaffrey's dragons and fire lizards.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Best line from the show:  "We're not going to be delivering table saws with these."


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

swolf said:


> Best line from the show: "We're not going to be delivering table saws with these."


He says that now. 

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

http://www.amazon.com/b?ref_=tsm_1_fb_s_amzn_mx3eqp&node=8037720011

So . . . . . . do we get credit when we send _back_ the little plastic boxes?


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

swolf said:


> Best line from the show: "We're not going to be delivering table saws with these."


They don't need to, the drones have their own built in saw blades.


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## Tia K (Sep 28, 2013)

D.L. Shutter said:


> And I can't help but think that when John Sergeant got off his flight in Seattle he was thinking how much fun he would have watching Bezos squirm and sweat when he threatened to pull all McMillians titles from Zon.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


LOL that just cracked me up. its pretty funny the whole thing.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I actually think it's a pretty cool idea . . . but I think Mr. Bezos might be a bit optimistic with his 2015 implementation date.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

...Rural delivery where GPS/Googlemap does not exist...


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## ginaf20697 (Jan 31, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I actually think it's a pretty cool idea . . . but I think Mr. Bezos might be a bit optimistic with his 2015 implementation date.


I think that he probably thinks there's no way in hell this will get approved but it's sure getting him a lot of free publicity today.


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## Peep (Mar 25, 2010)

I had to check and make sure the article wasn't from April 1st! Maybe I missed it, I wonder how much extra that service would cost? I can just imagine the number of YouTube videos popping up, showing the packages getting delivered. Or worse, people damaging them "for fun".


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

ginaf20697 said:


> I think that he probably thinks there's no way in hell this will get approved but it's sure getting him a lot of free publicity today.


That's for sure! I've seen it on a lot of FB pages today, including the local news radio page and Mythbusters! As well as this very funny response from Waterstones in the UK:


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

I watched the 60 Minutes segment last night.  During that interview he says the drone delivery is "probably 5-10 years away".

I thought it was interesting to hear the interviewer keep calling him Mr. Bezos, pronouncing it Bey-zos; I always thought it was Bee-zos.


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## geniebeanie (Apr 23, 2009)

Lol, now I can see the use for delivery for pizza!


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

I could see it being useful when towns are closed off because of disasters and you need items badly.  I mean if you're out of tampons or diapers and the bridge has collapsed, call Amazon.


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## skyblue (Dec 23, 2009)

If it can't drop it on my front steps, don't bother!


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2013/12/03/last-minute-shopping

giggle.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I am torn on this idea. I think it's going to happen and more companies than just Amazon are going to use them. However, the idea of a sky buzzing with drones seems scary and dangerous - the local pizza place colliding with Amazon, colliding with someone else. There have to be safety measures in place.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Colbert did a great riff on the idea last night.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/430896/december-02-2013/amazon-s-delivery-drones


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

My coworker asked me about it today since we get into Apple vs. Amazon battles.  I told him my theory was Bezos was pulling a prank on 60 Minutes since their credibility was already marred.  That or he wants to sit back and laugh as WalMart and other companies throw money at it.


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## Saul Tanpepper (Feb 16, 2012)




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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I got a delivery from Amazon today that would have been perfect for drone delivery.  Plenty small enough box -- very light weight.  Paid somewhat of a ridiculous amount for what it was.  I needed / wanted it soon.  The sooner the better.  Ordered late last night and paid $4 for local delivery today.  Could have gone out to a store for it, but just did not want to go in the COLD today.  No other reason to go out.  Delivered about 2:30.


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## William Peter Grasso (May 1, 2011)

I fly drones for a hobby (yes, radio controlled aircraft are considered drones--the FAA now classifies them as sUAVs--small unmanned aerial vehicles, and is aggressively seeking to increase its regulatory authority over their operation).
As I watched Mr. Bezos's presentation, I had no doubts his delivery system is possible, but:
1) The items required to do this efficiently and safely are not toys and are not cheap. Delivery vehicles will cost upwards of $5,000 each with the technology available for the next 5 years or so. Their lithium batteries alone cost a few hundred bucks.
2) To insure safe delivery operation, a human operator with video link will be required in addition to GPS guidance. I can envision some corporate genius devising a system where one operator is forced to control multiple drones.
3) With the constant use a commercial enterprise will demand, the vehicles' reliability and safety will deteriorate quickly without aggressive and costly maintenance. Corporations tend to underestimate just how much maintenance and down-time will be necessary. The vehicles are not "throw-away" items, no more than delivery trucks are.
4) As another poster already mentioned, if this practice gets large-scale approval, the sky will quickly fill with competing drones. An air traffic control system, using defined routes, release points, and computerized collision alerting and avoidance systems will be required.
5) The delivery vehicles can and will be stolen and/or willfully destroyed in significant numbers. It'll be just too much fun for the yabos among us not too, even if their theft and destruction is made a federal offense. In their favor, they fly low and relatively fast, so they're not easy for an amateur to hit. But if it's on the ground, a child with a blanket could defeat it.
6) The introduction of any new automated system--especially one involving airborne projectiles with whirling, knife-like blades--will cause property damage, injuries, and perhaps fatalities almost immediately. I wonder what sort of liability insurance scheme Mr. Bezos has cooked up...
WPG


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

How would this work in the city? Seems like it could only work in suburbs. Rural would be too large to cover on batteries and you can't just drop a package in front of an apartment building....


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## William Peter Grasso (May 1, 2011)

Chad Winters said:


> How would this work in the city? Seems like it could only work in suburbs. Rural would be too large to cover on batteries and you can't just drop a package in front of an apartment building....


Good point, Chad...
I'm sure one of the options for urban delivery being batted around is strategically placed, automated kiosks scattered around urban areas, like the drops boxes used for Fedex and UPS. Just a short stroll from wherever you are.
Drone drops package into kiosk, which identifies it by bar code (or whatever) and holds it until you punch in the confirmation code you got when you ordered it. Then, out the chute it comes...we hope 
Alternatively, the drone could deliver to a bicycle messenger hub.
Delivery over great distances--like the rural zones you mention--would, for the meantime, require a gas-powered helicopter/drone. They exist, although at present only as single or dual rotor devices, and can fly for hours. Technically, even a fixed wing UAV (a big model airplane) could do rural deliveries--just ask some villagers in Afghanistan.
Something I failed to mention in my earlier post: the delivery system will be slowed by weather, especially winter weather, just like real aircraft. Drones ice up just like any other air machine, changing their flight characteristics, sometimes drastically. What flew well before may not fly so well with a pound or so of ice build-up. Anti-icing systems would add more weight and draw more battery power.
WPG


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

There are a lot of innovations in the future that will be done that we have not thought possible.  But this is not one of them.


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

Now DHL which is owned by the German postal service is getting into the drone business as well and doing some tests.

Here is an article: http://www.dw.de/deutsche-post-dhl-tests-delivery-drone/a-17281339


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