this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023
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Amazon's drone delivery program is the joke it always sounded like. (news.yahoo.com)
submitted 2 years ago by FlyingSquid@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
173 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Only one item can be delivered at a time. It can’t weigh more than 5 pounds. It can’t be too big. It can’t be something breakable, since the drone drops it from 12 feet. The drones can’t fly when it is too hot or too windy or too rainy.

You need to be home to put out the landing target and to make sure that a porch pirate doesn’t make off with your item or that it doesn’t roll into the street (which happened once to Lord and Silverman). But your car can’t be in the driveway. Letting the drone land in the backyard would avoid some of these problems, but not if there are trees.

Amazon has also warned customers that drone delivery is unavailable during periods of high demand for drone delivery.

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[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 2 years ago (3 children)

It raises the question why a drone can't deposit it lower than 12 feet. Is this drone theft control?

[–] Natanael@slrpnk.net 6 points 2 years ago

It can't be allowed to fly too close to people, and there's also concerns with interfere, collisions, animals, etc

[–] 5gruel@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Having built commerical drones, it's mainly two things, obstacles and ground effect.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Probably loss of signal from GPS for one, and there are far more obstacles like power lines that can be hit below 12 feet.

[–] MuffinHeeler@aussie.zone 3 points 2 years ago

Might be a stupid idea, but maybe a cable that extends 12ft down and releases the object at ground level or close to, then retracts to the drone. Surely they have thought of this though