Posted on 08/30/2014 6:04:56 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Winging it
Google announces its own delivery drones project
Aug 29th 2014 | SAN FRANCISCO | Business and finance
AT THE end of 2013, Amazon made quite a media splash when it revealed that it had been testing the use of small drones to deliver packages. The company is betting that the airborne marvels will eventually be able to transport parcels to customers within a ten-mile radius of the vast network of warehouses that it runs. But it is not the only tech giant with its eyes on the sky. On August 28th Google announced that its secretive "Google X" arm, which works on bold and risky long-term projects, has also developed a prototype delivery drone, as part of an initiative dubbed Project Wing.
Google has already shown with its driverless-car initiative, which was also hatched in Google X, that it is willing to promote ambitious new ideas, or moonshots in Google-speak, in the field of transport.
(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...
I thought the FAA, another unConstitutional organization, had already nixed this idea?
Or is it Google’s deeper pockets allowing them more “privileges” than a guy wanting to deliver beer or pizzas via drone...
Times like these, I wish we had an edit function....
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/31/tech/innovation/beer-drone-faa/
It will be OK once they hook up the NSA cameras...
Here's the problem:
Robots can (or will) be able to produce most things (including fast food) and provide many services.
Our society and our education systems are very broken -- we aren't good and producing lots of smart people with good work ethics.
Foreign competition is giving us a good run for the money.
3-D printer technology can (or will) bring many simple devices within reach without much of an infrastructure or need for labor.
Possible solution (for those who would want it):
Own a few acres of land.
Build a tiny house off the grid.
Grow your own food.
Use a 3-D printer for many items, and drones deliver other items when needed.
Freedom. Independence. Property ownership. Who needs government?
And for the people who choose to live differently -- no problem at all. But I sure would like to see government charity ("donated" by others at gunpoint) come to a complete stop. But, hey, if you can find decent employment, that's great. Or die in an alley. Or go homestead (see above).
An interesting question to ask is whether consumers have enough money to buy all products and services business will pour out into the market. Customers may have stagnant or decreasing income.
“Yes, I’d like to order a piano....1600 Penn. Ave. Thank you.”
In a Country predicated on individual freedom, this never should have been an issue.
This is great! My Google deliveries take far too long as it is now.
Not nixed. . .undergoing regulation review.
Sense and avoid/detect and avoid are big safety issues that need over-sight.
FAA developing regulation regarding that.
Drones....just what the terrorists would love to get their hands on.
It's not like they are difficult to obtain now. This will be a big issue in the near future.
This one has a 5 ft wingspan and is a knockoff of the Predator
So... It’ll be outlawed until Amazon and Google buy enough legislative power to corner the market for themselves...
Sound about right.
Corner what market?
UAVs?
There are literally hundreds of UAV manufacturers and Amazon and Google buy from them. They don’t make their own, and the FAA will define training, safety and certification requirements to use UAVs commercially.
Regulate airborne delivery to corner the market?
Local pizza delivery via UAV. . .how can Amazon/Google corner that market?
Seriously, am asking, what market can they corner?
Product delivered by drone. The FAA shut down the guy trying to deliver beer via drone to ice fishers in my home State.
Now, big money is moving in to take another run.
Wanna bet any “new” regs will price out the smaller competition? Go on... Let’s bet a nickel... Keeping it friendly and all...
Shutting down that operator was exactly what the FAA threatened to do with Amazon when Amazon spoke of doing deliveries. So, no regulations right now to ensure safety and proficiency and the FAA regulates and the regulations will be in place soon. Makes no difference if it a large or small operator, safety and proficiency standards will be the same. Like pilots and airlines. I imagine safety and operational regulations for the platform and operators will be akin to a ‘commercial’ license for pilots. A step up from hobby fliers and demonstrate increased proficiency.
So, I will take that bet. . .if I lose I will tell my wife I was wrong. If you lose, you tell your wife/other that you were wrong.
Deal?
From where does the FAA derive its rightful power?
It certainly isn’t the Constitution.
Count on any “regulations” they write now to be voluminous, completely unnecessary, and well outside the reach of small or marginal operators to provide services.
Amazon and Google will be able to. The guy selling six packs across a frozen lake... Not so much.
That was my point.
Your argument would kill all but the major airline companies. . .but it does not. It is the regulations/certification of the operators, aircrew and ground, that are subject to the most regulation. So, no, get a commercial license/certification and meet FAA standards (https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afs/) and you are in business. Many do. I know plenty of basic commercial pilots owning one to two aircraft and they fly deliveries and shuttle people.
The only issue now is how to ensure UAV detect and avoid/sense and avoid are meeting at least manned standards.
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/lift_2014fall/#/18
Chart on right-side. Look at the total numbers. Amazon and Google aren’t even a single-digit percentage of those numbers.
But I get your point, you hate Amazon and Google and hate what you feel they can do, and argue against having national regulations in place to ensure proper training and certifications in the aviation world.
Your entire premise is flawed.
http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/features/a1221/
Government isn’t the answer, it’s the disease.
Why in Nine Blue Hells does an unmanned delivery drone need to meet manned flight regs?
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