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Amazon's Delivery Drones Will Be Able To Track Your Location

Posted by samzenpus on from the wherever-you-go dept.

stowie writes: According to the filing with the USPTO, the e-commerce giant's delivery drones will be able to communicate with each other, find the best flight path available, and update the delivery location as a customer changes location. Package delivery locations will be updated as customers move around, so a package can come to you at work or home, depending on where you are when your shipment is ready — including pulling location data from a smartphone. There will also be relay locations, allowing drones to drop off packages for further transport, or to recharge or swap batteries. Amazon even supplies a mockup of what its delivery drone could look like, including eight propellers, two removable power modules and much more.

7 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. Ok, I'll stick my neck on the chopping block by rockout · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know 90% of the Slashdot audience is going to talk about shooting down Amazon's drones and shit like that, but seriously - isn't there anyone besides me that can't wait for this? I think it's going to be great, and the "sky is falling" predictions about all the downsides to this seem like nonsense to me, for the most part. Am I alone in this?

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    I've learned that they're worthless, so I don't read AC comments anymore.
    1. Re:Ok, I'll stick my neck on the chopping block by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Track my location? Pretty sure my house doesn't actually move around much.

      Downsides? Sure, Amazon...I'll let you track my every move, all day every day.
      Not.

    2. Re:Ok, I'll stick my neck on the chopping block by pushing-robot · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think it's going to be great, and the "sky is falling" predictions about all the downsides to this seem like nonsense to me

      To be fair, that's not what I'm worried about falling.

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      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
  2. Cutting their losses by Nonesuch · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How will Amazon handle the theft problem? Why just steal a package of unknown value when you can stuff the drone into a steel box and get a pile of expensive parts along with whatever bonus you find in the package being delivered.

    Will Amazon be forced to redline neighborhoods that have a high attrition rate?

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    I do not deploy Linux. Ever.
    1. Re:Cutting their losses by rockout · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wow, you're right! Jeff Bezos is probably canceling the whole project right now, because no one at Amazon ever thought about any of the points you've brought up, and your post just turned the entire idea of drone delivery into a no-go. It's a little amazing to me than a lowly Slashdot poster outwitted the entire engineering division at Amazon, but it just goes to show, the best ideas always come from naysayers that have no idea what's going on at the company they're tearing down in their heads.

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      I've learned that they're worthless, so I don't read AC comments anymore.
  3. Re:I agree by viperidaenz · · Score: 5, Funny

    What if you're in a car, constantly moving playing a game of "lead the drone on a wild goose chase" for fun?

    It would be pretty funny if there was a swarm of these following cars on the motorway or around and around a city block or something.

  4. Re:I agree by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 4, Funny

    I came to say the same thing. How awesome would it be to be at the beach, realize you forgot a towel, and have one drop in within a half hour...

    If you are at some remote beach and you forget your towel...you are outside of the delivery zone. And you are a dumbass, and the ghost of Douglas Adams will smite you.