the flying warehouse

bicicleur 2

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a new way of distributing small parcels to individual customers

a floating platform from where small parcels are delivered to individual customers by drones

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http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/29/amazon-flying-warehouse-deploy-delivery-drones-patent.html

waiting for drones with better batteries or flying performances to bring this in practice
 
Interesting Idea. Flying warehouse might actually speed delivery and save fuel, therefore be economical. However, the delivery drones can't use batteries any time soon, as drones need to fly all day long back and forth. It is very impractical and expensive to change batteries or charge them after every flight. They will be gasoline engine/jet fuel powered.
 
Interesting Idea. Flying warehouse might actually speed delivery and save fuel, therefore be economical. However, the delivery drones can't use batteries any time soon, as drones need to fly all day long back and forth. It is very impractical and expensive to change batteries or charge them after every flight. They will be gasoline engine/jet fuel powered.

I guess the shape of the drones will also become more aerodynamical. That is at least what I understood in the 1st article I read about it, which was in Dutch and mentioned that these drones should perform part of their flight as a glider.
Maybe they'll become something hybrid between a helicopter and a glider plane.

It'll take a while before this realy comes into practice, but it would be nice.
I guess more detailed feasability studies are allready being made.
 
It is very impractical and expensive to change batteries or charge them after every flight. They will be gasoline engine/jet fuel powered.

Not if they can be charged wirelessly on a landing dock. They could also be equipped with solar chargers.
 
Not if they can be charged wirelessly on a landing dock.
Still waist of time to wait to be charged. Time is money, so drones need to fly nonstop.
Secondly, looking at slow pace battery technology progresses, it is definitely technology for far far future.
It is a different story to use batteries in small cars in case of people traveling to work or to the store within a battery one charge range. It is a different ball game in case of couriers, delivery trucks. services, taxis, or in future automatic taxis, when cars travel all day long and can't afford hours wasted on charge time. In next decade or two only leasure cars and drones will be electric. The rest will run on internal combustion engine with gasoline, jet fuel or fuel cells on natural gas or hydrogen.
 
I guess the shape of the drones will also become more aerodynamical. That is at least what I understood in the 1st article I read about it, which was in Dutch and mentioned that these drones should perform part of their flight as a glider.
Maybe they'll become something hybrid between a helicopter and a glider plane.

It'll take a while before this realy comes into practice, but it would be nice.
I guess more detailed feasability studies are allready being made.
Long range drones will definitely look more like planes for flight efficiency, with ability of vertical landing.
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In case of this flying warehouse, the warehouse will fly around the city during a day, so drones will fly mostly vertically up and down with parcels, so they look more like current drones. I guess the warehouse will land at night at the base to load up new cargo. It is actually a nice idea how to cut truck traffic on roads, and finally a good use for a blimp.

However there is a new problem with all the shopping online and stuff being delivered and left on a doorstep. New breed of thieves showed up in my city recently, last Christmas, and I'm sure same in other countries. They cruise around neighborhoods "shopping". Not a big scale problem, but still.
 
All i know is that Jeff Bezos is true genius. His personal wealth totaled 67 billion dollars as of last month. All this drone thing it will end up being long distance flying transport helicopters with or without pilots. It does not work well with heavy merchandise. It works perfectly with clothing and books.
 
Still waist of time to wait to be charged. Time is money, so drones need to fly nonstop.
Secondly, looking at slow pace battery technology progresses, it is definitely technology for far far future.
It is a different story to use batteries in small cars in case of people traveling to work or to the store within a battery one charge range. It is a different ball game in case of couriers, delivery trucks. services, taxis, or in future automatic taxis, when cars travel all day long and can't afford hours wasted on charge time. In next decade or two only leasure cars and drones will be electric. The rest will run on internal combustion engine with gasoline, jet fuel or fuel cells on natural gas or hydrogen.

I tend to agree with you and not with Elon Musk.
But the electric car is heavily subsidised today.
Many heavily subsidised projects in green energy have proven to be a waist of tax money but they are good for the image of politician who takes the initiative.

The government should stimulate fundamental research and new aplications but they shouldn't put solar pannels on everybody's roof in places with to little sunshine for todays technology.
 
However there is a new problem with all the shopping online and stuff being delivered and left on a doorstep. New breed of thieves showed up in my city recently, last Christmas, and I'm sure same in other countries. They cruise around neighborhoods "shopping". Not a big scale problem, but still.

that could be solved with an electronical key by which you could call in a drone with your parcel at the time you're at home ready for reception
 
that could be solved with an electronical key by which you could call in a drone with your parcel at the time you're at home ready for reception
This could, but it negates efficiency of flying warehouse. In this case the drone can come to me from ground warehouse.
 
I tend to agree with you and not with Elon Musk.
But the electric car is heavily subsidised today.
Many heavily subsidised projects in green energy have proven to be a waist of tax money but they are good for the image of politician who takes the initiative.

The government should stimulate fundamental research and new aplications but they shouldn't put solar pannels on everybody's roof in places with to little sunshine for todays technology.
He did well so far selling "toy cars" to rich people. Now he wants to make his Tesla 3 model for mass market. He might be successful for first 2 years, because upper middle class is well off and big in numbers around the world and he knows how to make a car sexy, but later production will stoll for obvious limitations of batteries.
 
He did well so far selling "toy cars" to rich people. Now he wants to make his Tesla 3 model for mass market. He might be successful for first 2 years, because upper middle class is well off and big in numbers around the world and he knows how to make a car sexy, but later production will stoll for obvious limitations of batteries.

the e-bike is becoming quite popular here
it is stimulated by the government and it becomes a good alternatif for many commuters
I think this is a good initiative

I don't believe in electric cars for obvious limitations (the batteries)
subsidising this project I see as a waist of money

In the long run I rather believe in hybrid cars.
Because of 2 engines they are more expensive.
But if tuned well they can ride on very low fuel consumption and would be self-charging.
 

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