Has Anyone Experienced Drone Delivery?

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I heard about drone deliver several years ago, about how drones were going to be used to deliver relatively small packages to businesses and residences. This struck me as whimsical. I wondered about the possible obstacles, first and foremost the insurance and safety hazards of hitting people, pets, and property as a business expense. The expense of really good remote piloting. Also, I've wondered about renegades shooting down the drones like hunting ducks, and retrieving the shipments, for sport and pillage. Then I forgot about all this. I have never seen a drone, other than a toy with a party of recreational pilots within sight. However, people keep telling me (tell me anything) that drone deliveries are actually routine, and not just in urban and suburban areas. Has anyone seen a drone delivery, or better yet had one? Seeing is believing, and I ain't seen nothin'. Seems like the range of operation would be problematical, as would weight of delivered items. Is there "anything here"?

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I have never experienced "drone delivery", but for all the reasons you mention, it sounds like the most cockamamie, hare-brained exercise in stupidity I have ever heard of.

 

didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,889
31,595
34
Burlington WI
I had no idea that they do this. I also know very little about drones. But I would assume that distance between drones and controller would also become a factor? My father in law has one, and when the two separate past so many miles, it automatically lands, and then shuts off.

 

didache

Can't Leave
Feb 11, 2017
480
8
London, England
Personally, if one flew over my house it would be fair game for any missile I could launch at it. Also, anyone caught flying one within miles of an airport should be beaten to death with their own remote control.

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,206
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
didache: Even if the drone was delivering a pipe you had searched for years for? A $500.00 whatever, birth date, you'd coveted for years? And finally located at the once in-a-life time price of... ten dollars.
Drones are flown routinely with the operator/pilot thousands of miles away. GPS, computers etc, would allow programing to be done from Seattle, the drone launched in Kentucky and, dependent on range, the package delivered to East Bumf**k, Illinois.
We're not talking about drones purchased over the counter at the local hobby shop. Drones will replace many drivers and vehicles on the road in the coming years as their sophistication improves and costs come down.

 

didache

Can't Leave
Feb 11, 2017
480
8
London, England
warren - I am not opposed to drones in the right context. In fact, I was filled with admiration during the Rio Olympics for how drone mounted cameras could fly over the events (eg beach volleyball) and get views that would not otherwise be possible. However, as you said, these are not hobbyist drones and they are flown by trained 'pilots' of a sort.
However, I am still very dubious about the concept of them flying over residential areas (I am in London btw so it would be a severely lost drone that found me when it was looking for East Bumf**k, Illinois!) and I am REALLY serious about the dangers of flying them where they might possibly come into contact with aircraft.
And - I really don't mind if my $500/$10 pipe comes in a van :puffy:

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
As for me, I'm content to wait a few days to have items arrive on four wheels. This would seem to make more sense, if at all, to deliver items of some real urgency. To crowd the sky, with the attendant hazards, to deliver curtains or gourmet spices or something, that gets fully into crazy territory. If I read this back in five years, it may sound the the old guy who said if God had meant man to fly, he would have given him wings.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,343
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/drone-deliveries-now-shipping-drone
:rofl:

 
Jun 27, 2016
1,273
117
FAA provisions don't really allow for commercial drone deliveries in the USA yet. I guess you can do it if you can keep the drone in your line of sight, but then you might as well walk the package over.

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
It's a cool concept, but here's my argument against them. If the delivery truck breaks down, the driver is there to keep an eye on his packages until it's loaded onto another van for delivery. If something goes wrong with the drone and it crashes, anyone driving by or walking by can pretty easily snag the delivery for themselves.

 

cally454

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 31, 2012
205
0
It's not if it's when. Amazon gets what it wants. Ups and FedEx ceos are on record scoffing amazon when they said they're going to deliver their own packages "it took us 40 years to devolope our infrastructure, good luck" they pat him on the head and say what a good customer amazon is. What they don't understand is bezos thinks in 25 year plans. He's not going to put trucks on the road to compete. He's going to do it with drones That's why he's putting in distribution centers everywhere and he's changed his stance on internet sales tax because he had to to realize his plan. They have drones in China that fly people right now. It's coming. I'm pretty sure the FDA owns the rights above and around everyone's house just like the ATT guy has egress to my yard as I saw him out there this morning without so much a knock and hey need access

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,067
Carmel Valley, CA
Anthony- But it'd be only one or two packages, there'd likely be video capture of the area, at least in urban and suburban areas, and GPS would fix the location.
Wonder if they are controlled via cellular data?

 

toobfreak

Lifer
Dec 19, 2016
1,365
7
Unfortunately it is an FAA violation to shoot a drone out of the sky as it is categorized as an air vehicle like an airplane and draws a heavy fine. ISIS and other terror groups are looking real hard at adapting drones for terror strikes. At present, the U.S. has no real defense for them other than one "drone gun" under development that can scramble their electronics.
First time I saw them I knew they were just as bad an idea as cars which drive around by themselves.

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,206
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
We can't think of drone deliveries in terms of today's technology. Guys in Colorado are driving drones and killing people in the various war zones around the world. The do it with precision over and over.
Not that many years ago, many in my generation couldn't imagine putting a man on the moon. And airplanes? Who'd of thought there was a commercial use for such a dangerous contraption. Women voting? PAleeese! It's only recently that people have bug to think of the lowly hamburger as a sandwich.

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
Anthony- But it'd be only one or two packages, there'd likely be video capture of the area, at least in urban and suburban areas, and GPS would fix the location.
Only one or two packages potentially holding something valuable, such as perhaps a Rolex watch, or a diamond ring. There may be video capture of the area, but if the person finds the package before it can be located, or sees the drone go down, what good will the video capture be. GPS might fix the location of the package or the drone. But not the contents of the package if opened and removed on location. And you can be sure that thieves will find a way to keep track of drones going to and from during deliveries so they can possibly be intercepted mid-flight.

 
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