I’m not negative about it. It has certain small applications, that’s about it. You guys are acting like it’s going to take over the industry. Not a chance in hell, it’s very inefficient. Does way too much traveling and not enough actual delivering. I totally disagree with it being beneficial for a densely populated area. It would be more beneficial for those hard to reach spots where a truck/driver has to go way off route to get to. Fuck it, send the drone!
im thinking that (esp for the prime now service) where I am the drone would be WAYYYYY faster than any delivery truck that has to deal with traffic
But you are missing what they are using it for. I don’t want to wait for you. Every minute I am waiting for the ups guy to show up is costing me $5k in production then I am going to go with a drone getting parts to me in 30 minutes or less.
I am outside snowblowing my driveway, the belt on the machine breaks and I cant get out. I can order the part and wait until tomorrow, I can shovel or something stupid like that, or I can grab my ipad and wait for a new belt to drop from the sky. I choose C.
This is not meant to take over anything. This is a high end option for those situations that warrant it. I guarantee that no one is going to pay $100 or whatever the 30 minute delivery charge is for a set of new plugs. Those will go UPS ground and you change them when you can.
It is a complimentary service for an established system. As I said before it has certain applications.
Those of you that think this will never happen… Right now Amazon is GIVING you $6 in Prime Pantry credit until 1/31/16 if you have prime and don’t take the free 2 days shipping. I don’t think you understand how much Amazon spends on UPS shipping already to do 2 day delivery and just how badly they want to get into the same day delivery market.
In 2014 Amazon hired a drone lobbyist. You think that’s just for viral nonsense too?
Drone delivery is going to happen at some point.
People need to come to grips with the fact over the next 50-100 years automation will takeover a large number of jobs.
on that note its crazy to see first hand an entire shipping container terminal is going live with automated cranes/transport etc very soon and will be FULLY automated by 2018
What happens if it rains?
Apparently it never rains in California so they literally just ignored that problem all together.
Damn it you win today
I disagree, the power of numbers of these can make it very efficient. How many people in Buffalo (as an example, Buffalo won’t get this) would order 30-min delivery at any given time? Think high, like 30 people. They can have 30 drones deliver 30 packages in 30 minutes or less, including removing the items from the shelves, loading them, and delivery time. Is there any current service that can do that?
Let’s use your snowblowing example. So this huge warehouse in Buffalo is going to have everything right? Car parts, snowblower parts, sneakers, clothes, food, jewelry, etc, etc. How big do you think it will be? 1,000,000sq/ft? 2 million? It’s going to be staffed too right? Not to mention it is going to have to move a shitload of product to justify it being there or else it is just wasted money. You guys have already said that it’s going to fill a small niche where a consumer is going to pay whatever it takes to get their stuff to them in 30 minutes.
30 drones at $10k apiece, delivering parcels that return how much $$$$$$? You’re assuming that Amazon has EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE ITEM within 30 minutes from you. That’s not possible.
it is very possible when you live 20 min south of Los Angeles…
Bingo.
I wouldn’t want drones flying all over the place, but this is definitely technology that will be here soon. This will eliminate the last required human interaction. Everyone will work from home and buy from home. Cars will no longer be needed, change site to nydrone. #nomoresnow
They already have the warehouses, largely staffed by robots.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/538601/inside-amazons-warehouse-human-robot-symbiosis/
Are you suggesting that they build new, separate warehouses just for the drone delivery? I would assume they would just use drones to deliver from their per-existing warehouses…
Well, how do you know they cost $10k a piece? Amazon will build the machines that build these, they are quite a powerhouse of efficiency. How much does the actual drone cost and electricity to charge them compare to a fleet of trucks, fuel, and employees salaries to deliver said packages?
And of course they won’t offer this on every item, no one thinks they would. You would only have this option on items that are small enough to fit on a drone, and that are in stock, etc… I think that part of the argument is unimportant though, as not having the item near you would also be a problem for a truck delivery service.
I am all for this, even if this doesn’t specifically work, I love find technology solutions for things we don’t even think about.
He doesn’t know how much they cost, or how fast they fly, or any actual details he is making assumptions :lol:
Amazon has extremely large warehouses all over the US and the world I have been to quite a few. They also do same day delivery in a number of big cities already and stock items based on data analytics.
They’re targeting items 5lbs or less
I think in the end, this may be a brilliant idea or it may be a huge failure, but it’s worth investing in it to find out. Sometimes you have an idea, and you have to take a monetary risk to find out whether or not it’s going to work out.
I’m sure that when the first car was invented, people scoffed at the idea. “A HORSE IS MORE EFFICIENT!!” “WE DON’T WANT CARS DRIVING ALL OVER THE LAND!!”
Don’t worry, if it ends up working out for Amazon, you’ll get used to it.
I read this and thought of this thread
Those on the high end, including attorneys, doctors, and, yes, computer programmers, will still have skills (like creativity and the ability to contextualize) that even the most intelligent machines are unlikely to develop. Those on the low end, including food service workers, are paid such poor wages that the cost of automation wouldn’t be worth it. Meanwhile, folks like data entry clerks, hotel clerks, and almost anyone working in delivery or shipping are likely to suffer.
Guess this guy didn’t realize those low end workers will be getting $15/hr soon. 