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Medicine Delivered By Flying Drones

Posted by Soulskill on from the because-walking-down-the-block-is-too-much-effort dept.

A company has launched a service in San Francisco to deliver medicine and other drug store items via airborne drone. The company, QuiQui, chose the Mission district of San Francisco for its lack of tall buildings and generally flat landscape, which makes it much easier for the flying drones to get around. They're working with pharmacies to deliver medicine because the packages are typically very small and easy for the drones to carry. QuiQui has been working on the concept for two years even though they knew it was likely to be illegal. They were surprised when the FAA lost its lawsuit earlier this month to block commercial drone use, but they're taking the opportunity to push forward. They haven't yet resolved what to do about delivering regulated substances.

43 comments

  1. What could possibly go wrong? by Todd+Palin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What could possibly go wrong?

    1. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

      gangs shoot them down and sell the drugs on the street

    2. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1

      Yeah, because unlike drones, people never crash their vehicles.

      --
      Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
    3. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by gregor-e · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I hear the black market prices for simvastatin are astronomical.

  2. The new "X on the internet". by ericloewe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It seems that these days, adding "with drones." to any old headline makes it newsworthy.

    1. Re:The new "X on the internet". by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yep. "Me too" start-ups. "A" was a success, "B" was a success, then a half-assed "A+B" will be the next Facebook.

      It's Pets.com all over again.

      Now please excuse me, I have to get back to working on an iPhone-fitbit-social-network for drones trying to keep in shape and keep in touch.

    2. Re:The new "X on the internet". by ultranova · · Score: 3, Funny

      It seems that these days, adding "with drones." to any old headline makes it newsworthy.

      Yeah. Why would a tech site has any interest in autonomous(?) robotic couriers flying around the city? Tell me something about the sci-fi future we were supposed to have already!

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    3. Re:The new "X on the internet". by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      "Porn via drones"

      Hmmmm

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    4. Re:The new "X on the internet". by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Just wait until I patent a drone with a touchscreen on the internet.

  3. Other light and urgent pharmacy items by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Condoms

  4. Why not! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why not, other drug dealers have been doing it for years, why not official ones!

  5. We Come in Peace by mikes.song · · Score: 1

    We are your friends.

  6. The obvious applications by billstewart · · Score: 1

    Yeah, there can be problems delivering medicines to people by drone, such as theft of the product near the delivery point, but you can reduce some of that by having video cameras in the drone.

    Of course, this being San Francisco, the obvious "medicine" that'll be delivered is weed.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
    1. Re:The obvious applications by mikael · · Score: 2

      Weed-to-go online booking form.

      Please select the amount of item you want delivered,
      [_] 50 grammes [_] 100 grammes [_] 250 grammes [_] 500 grammes [_] 1 kilogram [_] 2 kilograms [_] 5 kilograms [_] other
      If other, please enter the amount here [____] (maximum 25 kilograms)

      Please enter how soon you want the delivery:
      [_] Whenever (next three days) [_] Before I get the munchies (next day) [_] Just give me the dope, man! (today)

      After the purchase has been approved, please print out the barcode target and place it on a horizontal surface somewhere outdoors and not obscured by any
      trees. Our targeting satellites will detect the target and direct the delivery drone to the location.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    2. Re:The obvious applications by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

      Depending on who's in control of the system, you might get your location sent to the OADS for "service."

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      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    3. Re:The obvious applications by noh8rz10 · · Score: 1

      Drones in the Mission? What a retarded hipster idea. Just go back to delivering on your fixie, man.

    4. Re:The obvious applications by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

      You might want to follow that link and see what I was suggesting. It's probably not what you think.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    5. Re:The obvious applications by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I'd be more concerned about taking a propeller to the face.

      For better or worse even some of the high-end drones don't handle wind spectacularly. It doesn't take much at all for a drone to drift by a few metres and potentially injure someone.

  7. Weird by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought it would all be 3D printed from thin air, sunbeams and wishes by now?

  8. Junkie defense systems? by atari2600a · · Score: 2

    I walk down Mission St. at least 5 days a month to head to Noisebridge, & any walk down that part of Mission is a walk past countless drug addicts & day drinkers, acting all thug. If these drones fly low enough, any junkie with an unregulated airsoft gun's gonna be shooting them down hoping to find oxycodene or whatever the fuck.

    1. Re:Junkie defense systems? by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I know you just thought you were being clever, but you were wrong. An airsoft gun isn't going to take down a drone. You're going to need at least a good airgun for that. Not even a .22; a .177 pellet packs plenty of punch, especially if it is pointy. And it has the added advantage of being trivial when it comes down, so long as you don't fire it at a shallow angle.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Junkie defense systems? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know you just thought you were being clever, but you were wrong. An airsoft gun isn't going to take down a drone. You're going to need at least a good airgun for that. Not even a .22; a .177 pellet packs plenty of punch, especially if it is pointy. And it has the added advantage of being trivial when it comes down, so long as you don't fire it at a shallow angle.

      How about microwaves from a torn-apart oven?? :-)

    3. Re:Junkie defense systems? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fair point, but why did you need that first sentence? It's not very nice to say 'you thought you were being clever' to someone. You might replace your entire first sentence with 'actually' or something like that.

    4. Re:Junkie defense systems? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Fair point, but why did you need that first sentence? It's not very nice to say 'you thought you were being clever' to someone.

      Because they thought they were being clever, but they weren't? They should really be informed that people saw what they did there. It's for their own good. That way they'll understand the sort of responses they're getting. Or did you think nobody should ever be told what they're doing wrong so that they can be confused for the rest of their lives?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  9. Flying Vapers. by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    How do you think I get my weed?

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  10. kids' "skynet" by harvey+the+nerd · · Score: 1

    Better that having butterfly nets. Free samples galore.

  11. So they named it Kiki.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    cute alternative spelling aside, how long before studio Ghibli (or Disney) sends them a C&D?

  12. Woe betide those who fill a complicated drug order by Qubit · · Score: 1

    Secccurity!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    --

    coding is life /* the rest is */
  13. bro, just imagine... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    if someone used bitcoins to buy a 3d-printer and had it delivered by drones!

  14. Not a bad idea ... by PPH · · Score: 2

    ... but that last moment power dive toward my ass with the hypodermic extended is a bit disconcerting.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  15. Who needs this? by westlake · · Score: 1

    If a customer needs instant courier delivery of a prescription drug, chances are good the drug will be a controlled substance, and the customer elderly, disabled or just out of hospital --- simply answering the door is about all you can legitimately ask of them.

    1. Re:Who needs this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're ignoring how self-entitled well-off people are and how many more people are nowadays taking life long meds. The elderly or disabled people won't be able to afford drone delivery.

  16. Enough with the drones by Patent+Lover · · Score: 1

    Probably would be much easier and just as fast to hire a bike courier.

  17. Hypo on a Hellfire? by jddj · · Score: 1

    They must have to carefully calibrate the size of the missile with the syringe on the tip!

  18. QUIQUI = GAYTARDED NAME by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Kind of like ChaCha. How much more retarded can these people be? Derp! Quiqui. Deeeerrrpppp. Drones. Derrrrp!

  19. WARNING! HEY MODS! *MUST* READ THIS!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    mod parent up

  20. LOL No way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What happens when a junkie spots a drone with hydrocodone? Well from personal experience I can safely say it's not going to make it, though I'm clean today well not really I go to a Methadone clinic, but that's legal. I had no problem forging prescriptions through multiple states for a very long time until I eventually was busted so I can say I'd have no problem shooting it down with my Benjamin Sheridan Marauder Woods Walker .22 airgun back then. No need now because Uncle Sam's Methadone Plan is great, I can hardly make it home before I start nodding off in pure satisfaction.

    But hey, it will be a good excuse for junkies I can see it now, someone shot my drone of vicodin down so I'm going to need another.

  21. Not a good name, at least not in austria by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In Austria, Vienna and surrounding areas, quiqui is death. There are a number of proverbs, e.g. He was fetched by the quiqui....

    1. Re:Not a good name, at least not in austria by YoungManKlaus · · Score: 1

      ah, didnt hear that in a long time

  22. Goodbye Delivery People by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1

    Take-away by drone.
    Post by Drone.
    Milk / groceries by drone.
    Self-driving electric taxis.
    I'm surprised the fast food chains don't use robots.

    The future will an interesting sight. Perhaps the taller blocks of flats will have serving hatches for drones to use.

    And then the resources will run out and we'll all be proper f****d according to NASA (Or we'll learn to recycle).

    --
    Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
  23. How many more articles? by YoungManKlaus · · Score: 1

    I mean seriously, its just packing X into a box, attaching it to a drone, and setting the delivery target. Could we also get new articles every time Amazon adds a new item and ships it for the first time? "X Delivered By UPS Guy, Didn't Break It!"

  24. makes it much easier? by RawFoodSaloon · · Score: 1

    I think it could possibly go wrong! Will it be dropped after then? Kinda' wrong! What about looters along the way? I don't think this is a suitable idea. How can it be as fast delivered to your doorstep? "Carrying larger items would not be commercially viable" Exactly! Put in a larger item to a drone for it to carry! Just one second it will drop! the drone as well! LOL