Amazon patents Drone delivery trajectory patent
Off late, we have been seeing surge in Amazon’s drone delivery related patents which seems ambitious but also doable. There have been lot of technology protection being done related to way the packages get delivered by Amazon. Last week, Amazon was issued a patent which focused on delivering the packages in a certain preferred trajectory (vertical) to avoid obstruction and regain stable orientation.
Now Amazon, talks about various techniques through which this vertical trajectory can be achieved such as by generating a force from flywheels, coils, and springs. Amazon points out inefficacies in delivering the packages as primary reason of coming up with this flywheel assembly arrangement. It specifically notes that – “In order to deliver a package to a destination, a UAV is required to `drop off` the package. Traditionally, this involves the UAV landing at the destination, releasing the package, and then taking off to its next destination. The sequence of landing and taking off for each package delivery creates time and energy resource inefficiencies, which negate at least a portion of the benefit of adopting a network system of UAVs.”
The biggest hurdle of releasing the packages is the parabolic trajectory it stands to adopt if the package is released in air unless there is an arrangement suggested by this patent of coupling a flywheel assembly which rotates in a fashion to ensure that the package only follow a vertical path. This also will be able to address delivering the packages to close proximate destinations instead of adopting lowering the flight and dropping the package, taking off again and so on and so forth.
With Amazon clearly suggesting that they want drone delivery to be adopted soon and with the recent announcement of one-day prime delivery, this invention is sure going to be integrated in their drone logistic system.
