Amazon proposes drones-only airspace to facilitate high-speed delivery

[Bosonic]

Source: The Guardian

Amazon is proposing that a pristine slice of airspace above the world’s cities and suburbs should be set aside for the deployment of high-speed aerial drones capable of flying robotically with virtually no human interference.

The retail giant has taken the next step in its ambition to deliver packages via drone within 30 minutes by setting out in greater detail than ever before its vision for the future of robotic flight. It envisages that within the next 10 years hundreds of thousands of small drones will be tearing across the skies every day largely under their own automated control.

The company’s aeronautics experts propose that a 200ft slab of air – located between 200ft and 400ft from the ground – should be segregated and reserved for state-of-the-art drones equipped with sophisticated communications and sensing equipment and flying at high speeds of 60 knots or more. A further 100ft of airspace – between 400ft and 500ft – would be declared a no-fly zone to act as a buffer between the drones and current conventional aircraft such as passenger and cargo planes, thus mitigating fears about the impact on manned flight or dangers posed to people on the ground.

Amazon’s plan, unveiled on Tuesday at a Nasa UTM Convention at Nasa Ames in California, sets out an audacious model for the unleashing of robots above cities and towns across the globe. At the heart of the proposal is the idea that access to the new 200ft slice of airspace would only be granted to those drones equipped with technology that allowed them to fly safely and autonomously.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/amazon-autonomous-drones-only-airspace-package-delivery

[valerief]

1. Clowns with private planes would toy with them. nt

[geek tragedy]

2. apparently nobody told Amazon there are these creatures known as "birds"

that also inhabit that area and that don't respect human zoning restrictions.

The carnage that would result from this should be enough to make it a no-go.

[The2ndWheel]

4. Not the greatest argument

How many animals or trees have had to go over the decades to make way for our roads and cars? If our technological advances demand it, anything in the way is just in the way.

[geek tragedy]

5. bird and drone collide at 250 feet above ground. guess what happens next.

hint: you would not want to be standing underneath when this happens.

Also factor in that birds, unlike trees, are migratory and thus having bird-beheading drones of death in the skies could render entire populations extinct as they migrate along the east coast.

This will never happen, not sure why Amazon is pushing this silly fantasy

[The2ndWheel]

10. If it can make us lazier

be done cheaper, or decrease/eliminate the need for direct human action, I put very little beyond our ability.

Everything has to adapt to us. That's where we are now. Squirrels had to do it. Birds have had to, and will have to as well.

When have deaths or migratory patterns stopped us before? Why would it now? If it's possible for Amazon to do this, they will, and birds will either adapt to their new reality or die trying.

[geek tragedy]

11. actually, we do quite a bit to accomodate bird migration patterns.

buildings turn off their lights at night during migration seasons in most cities

it is not a law of nature that humans cannot change their behavior, or forego certain behaviors/

You still haven't addressed what happens when a gull and a drone collide 250 feet above a public sidewalk.

This is a silly idea going nowhere.

[The2ndWheel]

13. I don't need to address it. I'm not the one doing it.

I wouldn't even think of proposing the idea in the first place. Probably why I don't have all the money like Amazon does.

buildings turn off their lights at night during migration seasons in most cities

Didn't stop us from doing what we wanted though, right?

If Amazon can do it, they'll do it. If they can find a way to avoid the birds, they will. If not, the birds are out of luck, and will have to figure out somewhere else to do what birds do.

Humans do not do well with limits. We do not allow something external to define us. Do we allow rivers to stop us? No, we build a bridge. Do we allow mountains to stop us? No, we build over, around, or through them. Do we allow however many deaths from car accidents to stop us? No. We're not going to stop at birds either.

[geek tragedy]

14. Amazon would have to get the government's permission, which it won't get, as

this is an obvious and unacceptable safety hazard.

Since you didn't answer the question re: bird strike, the first two times, I'll answer it for you.

The bird will die instantly, and the drone will become immediately disabled, losing all propulsion and control, starting an immediate descent at 250 feet above the ground. At ground level both the dead bird and the disbled drone will be traveling at approximately 80-85 mph (138 kph).

Both will plummet towards the ground and any unlucky persons who happen to be standing there. If someone is directly underneath, that person will die of blunt force trauma to the skull, not to mention the blades from the drone, as the impact will have the force of 735-1470+ joules.

[The2ndWheel]

21. I'm aware of the physics of bird + drone

But again, how many people die because of car accidents? Is there some acceptable amount? Break a few eggs for an omelet? Alright, you may die, but it's taking one for the team in order for progress?

I'm not pro-Amazon drone. I'm just saying it's probably going to happen if we have the ability to do it.

[snooper2]

23. I know! If drones start killing birds what will the feral cats have to do?

[geek tragedy]

25. Kill squirrels. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Serious shark-jumping here...

They might get thousands of heavy, package-laden drones in the air, but what guarantees they will stay in the air?

This sounds a lot more expensive than UPS, too.

[snort]

6. Not from the Onion?

Seriously glad I bought that air rifle! Can you imagine the security problems?

[TexasProgresive]

7. "High Flying Kite Tangles Drone"

Houston, TX- Unknown suspects are bringing down delivery drones in a new twist on piracy. Evidently they are using a leader of carbon fiber or kevlar about a 100 feet long that they use to entangle the props of the drones. Then they reel them in to see what kind of prize they won.

So far none of these pirates have been caught. If something isn't done soon the drone delivery business will be finished.

Really bad satire on my part.

[Generic Other]

16. Pre-crime!!

You just know this is going to happen! Drone Pirates. We need to warn the public now!

[TexasProgresive]

18. Update on the story

Police are suspecting the drone pirates are from Gujarat state in India or Afghanistan where there is highly competitive kite fighting.

This is fun.

[Generic Other]

19. Somehow they managed to get my order through

[Ford_Prefect]

8. How long does it take for the next home grown terrorist to take this obvious opportunity?

It completely by-passes current mail regulation. It also could provide safe passage for all sorts of questionable deliveries.

[Helen Borg]

9. I really want to see drones flying

On a really windy Boston day without colliding with each other or smashing into things

[msongs]

12. in that case we should be able to have drone-free zones above our own properties so we can use "our"

air space as we see fit. like, to shoot down drones

[Generic Other]

17. Here ya go!

[dhill926]

26. not a bad backhand....

[FLPanhandle]

15. I think it's a good idea

Drones are here to stay whether it's commercial or private drones and it makes sense to set aside a safe place for them to fly.

While I don't have any fear of drone technology, I'm skeptical of Amazon using them successfully for small package delivery.

[HeartoftheMidwest]

20. As someone who has friends and family who fly in Aeromedical helicopters.....

...and have already had a few close calls with recreational drones, I'd like to know how they propose to keep airborne drones away from helicopters doing rescue work, and responding to accident scenes? It's not always a straight shot or "known" flight path to where help is needed.

Amazon doesn't have enough money in the world to console me if I lose someone I love, just because Amazon & others are too damn greedy to pay a real living being to deliver stuff.

[MBS]

22. This is sick. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

24. I always wondered:

When Amazon drone fly over rural areas, what's stopping someone from just shooting it down and stealing the package for himself??