UAV Equipped Delivery Trucks: Why Dogs Will No Longer Be Able to Bite the Mailman
UAV Equipped Delivery Trucks: Why Dogs Will No Longer Be Able to Bite the Mailman Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 15 Source: Amazon and Google aren’t the only ones with a delivery drone (July 28, 2015) (Editor’s Note: Full cartoon can be found at anewdomain.net. Also, a new delivery drone humor section is coming soon, stay tuned!) [UPDATE: New concept video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epqZ-IuhzKQ] What the Article Chronicles: Yard dogs hankering for a taste of the local mailman’s / delivery man’s tender calves are plain out of luck. AMP Holding Inc. (in cooperation with the University of Cincinnati) has developed an unmanned, wirelessly recharging octocopter that can attach itself to the top of a delivery truck and autonomously deliver packages thereby foiling those hungry pooches’ plans. Called the HorseFly (as pun to the fact that its “base” is AMP’s WorkHorse electric delivery vehicle), the overall concept combines autonomous and manual control. Once a specific address is determined as best suited for drone delivery, the driver hands over the package via a rooftop access hatch. The HorseFly then scans the barcode on the package, determines the best flight path based on its current GPS coordinates and then flies itself off to the delivery location. However, once it gets close to the drop off point, a certified drone operator will remotely take over control and guide the drone around unpredictable urban obstacles in order to safely release the package. Once delivery is complete, the HorseFly resumes autonomous flight back to its delivery truck where it can wirelessly recharge. By using the WorkHorse electric delivery truck as both landing pad and...
Self-balancing Unicycle Parcel Delivery Drones – The Transwheel Concept
Small Unicycle Delivery Drones, Big Impact Alone Or In Packs – The Transwheel Idea Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 14 Transwheel, the delivery drone that doesn’t fly (August 16, 2015) (Editor’s Note: Nifty concept video can be found in YouTube: Futuristic Delivery Drone Robot by Kobi Shikar/ All images belong to Kobi Shikar) What the Article Chronicles: When people talk about parcel delivery drones, what comes to mind is Amazon’s Prime Air service. However, there are other potential autonomous cargo drone alternatives to having hundreds of flying UAVs filling up our skies within Amazon’s aerial drone superhighway as part of the quest to deliver eCommerce purchases within 30 minutes or less. Designed by Israeli industrial design student Kobi Shikar, the Transwheel concept is best described as a self-balancing, unicycle parcel delivery robot drone which has a vague resemblance to Universal Pictures’ Minions. (Editor’s Note: At least that is the first thing I think about when I look at the pictures). Official UAV / Drone Name: Transwheel delivery drone Basic Unmanned Cargo Vehicle (UCV) / Drone Description: Autonomous robotic wheel with self-balancing system, electric arms, obstacle detection cameras, GPS navigation system and a robust communication system that allows it to operate either alone to deliver small parcels or as a group to deliver full-size cargo containers. Additional features would include facial recognition hardware to identify and confirm package recipients, as well as LED lights that would allow the drones to deliver packages at night. Payload/ Range / Speed: No information on payload capacity, range or speed is available as the Transwheel is still in the concept stage. However, the...
Amazon’s Drone Highway – Organizing the Drone Friendly Skies
Package Delivery Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Highway Concept Proposed by Amazon Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 13 Amazon Proposes Drone Highway as It Readies for Flying Package Delivery (July 28, 2015) (Editor’s Note: This article kicks off a 3 post series look at the latest concepts for managing the increasing number of drones vying for precious limited airspace in the future.) What Article Chronicles: Amazon has recently published a pair of whitepapers (Paper 1 / Paper 2) describing their proposed approach for determining safe and efficient airspace access and integration for low-altitude, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). To fully reap the benefits of commercial drone systems in civil airspace, and in order to avoid potentially lethal chaos as per the recent example of a Southern California 3,500 acre wildfire where helicopter firefighting operations were temporarily stopped for 26 minutes due to the interfering presence of five civilian-operated drones, dedicated “air lanes” and air traffic control systems will be key to avoiding a bleak dystopian “delivery drones blocking out the sun” future outlook. Amazon’s concept focuses on a “segregated airspace” below 500 feet (152 meters). Airspace above this height is where most civil and military aviation activities takes place. Amazon suggests the following four segregated areas: Below 200 feet (61 meters) a “Low-Speed, Localized Traffic” area reserved for “(1) terminal non-transit operations such as surveying, videography and inspection, and (2) operations for lesser-equipped vehicles, e.g. ones without sophisticated sense-and-avoid (SAA) technology”. Potentially, this area would also be the airspace where Amazon Prime Air drones would complete the final stages of their parcel deliveries, landing near homes to drop off Amazon packages. Between...
Four day Experiment of e-Commerce Delivery Drones in Finland
Four day Experiment of e-Commerce Delivery Drones in Finland Unmanned Cargo Delivery Concept – Chronicle 12 Posti, Sharper Shape and Verkkokauppa Experiment with Robotic Helicopters in e-Commerce Deliveries (September 2, 2015) (Editor’s Note: A nice video can be found at the link above.) What the Article Chronicles: From September 2 to September 5, Posti (a Finnish postal, logistics and e-commerce services company) will be testing the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) /delivery drones for the first time in Finland in what might also be considered the first European trial in an inhabited urban environment. Flights will depart from the observation deck of the Verkkokauppa.com store at Jätkäsaari up to 3x per day. The drone will fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of its operator however a special landing site has been cleared at the island of Suomenlinna. Official UAV / Drone Name: Next Eagle UAV from Sharper Shape Ltd. Basic UAV/ Drone Description: Robotic helicopter or Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) based on a laser-based observation system to prevent collisions and maximize safety. Payload: Only parcels under 3 kg (6.6 lb) from Verkkokauppa.com (a very popular online store in Finland). Range: A 4 kilometer (2.5 mile) route between the island of Suomenlinna (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Helsinki in the Finnish mainland. Speed: Not specified, however the original Finnish article (http://www.posti.fi/lennot/) does mention the trip will only take 10 minutes. Thus, assuming the 4 kilometer (2.5 mile) route is only one way, this would mean flight speed is 24 km/hr (15 mph). Companies Involved: Posti Group Sharper Shape Ltd. What are your thoughts on this Finnish eCommerce Delivery Drone...Featured Posts
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