Amazons drones will recharge themselves using street lamposts

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By Matthew Griffin Robo Revolution 26th September 2016

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

Amazons new patent could change the look of your community forever.

It looks like Amazon is finally answering a fundamental question about its long awaited delivery drones – where will they land? And a possible answer, according to a recent patent filing that they put into the US Patent Office is on your neighbourhood’s streetlights, churches and synagogues, cell towers, and other tall structures. So those objects that you say perched on the power pylons that you thought were birds? They’re drones.

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Amazon was awarded the patent for these urban “docking stations” for delivery drones, which the patent notes, “may be described as a system to deliver packages, [but] it should be understood that the system may just as easily be used to delivery groceries, mail, movies, prescriptions, and other items”, late last week.

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The docking station and the drone can communicate with each other to identify a suitable landing space and if the docking station was already full then the drone would simply fly over to the next nearest one. The stations would also be able to monitor weather conditions, alerting the drones to incoming weather and even offering them shelter. While Amazon’s drawings all portray lamp posts, the patent notes that they would be just as comfortable at a “church steeple”.

As Amazon expects to be delivering packages of differing weights, a scale would also be incorporated into the docking station. The drone could also download and upload data on new purchases or cancellations. A typical visit to this home away from home would include charging its battery – perhaps one day wirelessly, downloading any new information, and then going on its way. Then, further down the line Amazon, and others, could hook these stations into the blockchain in order to allow any third party drone to automatically find them, use them, charge from them and transact with them.

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Amazon also suggests that the docking stations could serve their communities by offering some sort of Wi-Fi connection “without bearing the burden of installing some, or all, of the necessary infrastructure” – so maybe this is another attempt by amazon to conquer the known world!

Amazon won the right to test its drones last year, and this patent drops hints about what they might be like. The patent notes that the docking stations were built to handle small, medium, and large drones and while it’s presented as a hypothetical possibility it says a large drone could carry a payload as heavy as 500 pounds. And that’s a big drone – which will be good news for all you bowling ball and anvil enthusiasts.

Matthew Griffin / About Author

Described by NASA as a "Walking Encyclopaedia of the Future" and one of the world’s most in demand keynote speakers Matthew Griffin, Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm, is a multi-award winning Futurist and strategic foresight expert, author, lecturer, mentor, podcast and YouTube host.

With a distinguished career running global business units at Atos, EMC, and IBM today Matthew helps leaders and titans of industry from all over the world explore the impact of the inter sections of technology, culture, and leadership, then helps them create high performance organisations that can continuously disrupt, outpace, and outthink their competition.

15 times author of the hit series the Codex of the Future series Matthew's ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends on global business, culture, and society has earned him a powerful reputation and a roster of clients that include royal households, world leaders across the G7, G20, and G77, and many of the world's most recognised and exceptional organisations including ABB, Accenture, ABN Amro, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi Group, Coca Cola, Deloitte, Dentons, Disney, Dow, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Microsoft, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Nokia, Paramount, PepsiCo, PWC, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, T-Mobile, UBS, Visa, WIRED, WPP and hundreds of others.

Matthew is regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, and his mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.