Prime Air | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Fri, 01 Dec 2017 18:12:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Prime Air | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Amazon patent self-destructing fail-safe for its drone service https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/amazon-patent-self-destructing-fail-safe-for-its-drone-service/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/amazon-patent-self-destructing-fail-safe-for-its-drone-service/#respond Fri, 01 Dec 2017 18:12:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=356307 Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery service is still trying to take off, but it seems that the company might have finally quelled customer fears over the vehicle malfunctioning mid-flight. Addressing the safety concerns, Amazon has now been granted a patent for self-destructing drones. Specifically, the paten regards the “direct fragmentation for unmanned airborne vehicles,” meaning …

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Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery service is still trying to take off, but it seems that the company might have finally quelled customer fears over the vehicle malfunctioning mid-flight. Addressing the safety concerns, Amazon has now been granted a patent for self-destructing drones.

Specifically, the paten regards the “direct fragmentation for unmanned airborne vehicles,” meaning it’s unlikely you’ll see fireworks all throughout the year until Amazon gets it right. Instead, this patent allows the drone to detect a fault mid-flight, and utilising a “fragmentation controller,” it can disassemble itself in order to allow the safe falling of its own parts.

The on-board computer studies the flight path, compares it with weather conditions and surrounding terrain before choosing at what point it ejects certain components. At first, this might seem more hazardous, but if crashing is inevitable for the drone, Amazon figures it safer to do so in smaller chunks.

“During the fragmentation sequence, one or more parts or components of the UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] can be released. In doing so, the weight, speed, air drag coefficient, and other factors related to the UAV can be altered,” reads the patent. “According to aspects of the embodiments, the fragmentation sequence is tailored to modify or alter the manner in which the UAV descends, to control the descent in a preferred, controlled manner.”

While the basic drone technology is there, Amazon still has a long way to go before its air service gets officially approved. It still has to battle its flight controller issues of having so many UAVs flying around at once, find more economic value in its implementation and as for this specific patent, it still needs to be government approved.

KitGuru Says: For now, this is just a patent that Amazon might not use after its first round of testing, but how do you feel about the Prime Air service? Moreover, how do you feel about UAVs with miniature explosives attached as a fail-safe mechanism above your head?

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Amazon’s first Prime Air drone delivery has taken place https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/amazons-first-prime-air-drone-delivery-has-taken-place/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/amazons-first-prime-air-drone-delivery-has-taken-place/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2016 17:44:54 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=314682 It has been over two years since Amazon first announced Prime Air, its drone delivery service. Since then, the 30-minute delivery service has been tested in countries across the world and this week, the first official Prime Air drone delivery was made here in the UK. For the first customer delivery, Amazon used a completely …

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It has been over two years since Amazon first announced Prime Air, its drone delivery service. Since then, the 30-minute delivery service has been tested in countries across the world and this week, the first official Prime Air drone delivery was made here in the UK. For the first customer delivery, Amazon used a completely autonomous drone with no human pilot, which managed to get the item to the customer in 13 minutes.

The Prime Air delivery took place in Cambridge, England where a limited service test is being run. Apparently only two customers are taking part in the trial right now due to the fact that they live close to Amazon's fulfilment centre. The trial will eventually be expanded to include more people but testing will be quite limited for a while.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNySOrI2Ny8′]

To mark the occasion, Amazon has released a promotional video showing the first Prime Air customer delivery from start to finish. As shown by the video, an order is placed, then a human Amazon worker will pack up the item. The box is placed on a conveyor belt and picked up by a drone, which then waits until it is outside to take off and fly to the customer's location using GPS.

There are still some limits on what the drones can carry, with item weight being capped at just over 2kg so there is a limit to what you can order but still, this is quite an impressive milestone.

KitGuru Says: I have been quite excited about the Prime Air concept for quite a while and judging by the first customer test, things are looking up. There is still a long way to go though, dropping a package off in a field in the middle of rural England is quite different to dropping a package off at someone's doorstep in a more densely populated area.

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New Amazon Prime Air advert features Jeremy Clarkson https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/jon-martindale/new-amazon-prime-air-advert-features-jeremy-clarkson-2/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/jon-martindale/new-amazon-prime-air-advert-features-jeremy-clarkson-2/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2015 08:46:43 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=276755 Hiring on the Top Gear crew after the unceremonious end to their long running TV presence, was a real win for Amazon, even if it did purportedly cost the online retailer upwards of £160 million. Part of that price tag however means you can utilise that new talent for other things too, like advertising the …

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Hiring on the Top Gear crew after the unceremonious end to their long running TV presence, was a real win for Amazon, even if it did purportedly cost the online retailer upwards of £160 million. Part of that price tag however means you can utilise that new talent for other things too, like advertising the still in-development Amazon Prime Air service, which looks to be progressing swiftly since the first look we had late last year.

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The new advert takes a scenario where a shoe is missing for an important event. The family in question makes an order with Amazon and selects the within-the-hour Prime delivery service. That product is then shuffled through its warehouse to an awaiting fixed-wing drone and vertically lifted before using those fixed surfaces are used to provide a fast and efficient mode of transport.

And in under half an hour the package is dropped off, all described in the classic voice-over style of Mr Clarkson.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXo_d6tNWuY']

Although we're told that the Amazon Prime Air service isn't quite ready just yet, the video does point out that the footage of the package being flown around is in-fact real flight viddeo, not a simulation. That means that we really aren't that far away from this being a delivery option for those who live within a few miles of an Amazon warehouse.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As many commenters have pointed out, this system seems unlikely to be as flawless as described. Drones being attacked by animals or those just keen to see the world burn. Still, this seems like an exciting way to speed up delivery times in certain areas. 

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Amazon may move Prime Air drones out of US after FAA block https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/amazon-may-move-prime-air-drones-out-of-us-after-faa-block/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/amazon-may-move-prime-air-drones-out-of-us-after-faa-block/#comments Wed, 10 Dec 2014 17:45:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=225742 Amazon is threatening to move its drone research out of the US unless the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), gives the company permission to do test flights outdoors. The retailer first attempted to get permission for its Prime Air drone tests back in July. The company has now responded to the FAA with an open letter, …

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Amazon is threatening to move its drone research out of the US unless the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), gives the company permission to do test flights outdoors. The retailer first attempted to get permission for its Prime Air drone tests back in July.

The company has now responded to the FAA with an open letter, written by Paul Misener, Amazon's Vice President of Global Public Policy: “Without approval of our testing in the United States, we will be forced to continue expanding our Prime Air R&D footprint abroad.”

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Amazon is looking to test drones in an effort to get its Prime Air concept off the ground. This would allow the company to send out packages via drone, with deliveries being made in as little as 30 minutes. Unfortunately, without the FAA's permission, testing is legally impossible.

Amazon isn't just banking on drones though, it is currently testing delivery via bike in Manhattan, New York. The company is working with three separate couriers to trial delivery by cyclist, the fastest courier will become Amazon's new ‘go to' for Prime deliveries.

You can read the full letter from Amazon, HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Amazon Prime Air is a cool concept but without the FAA on its side, the company won't be able to get it started. Would you guys like to see Amazon offer delivery by drone? 

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