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Amazon isn’t the only company that wants to use drones to deliver packages, Google’s Project Wing looks to do the same, and many courier services are taking a shot at this idea as well. What about receiving drone deliveries? You could stand outside and stare up at the sky to see where the drone is or perhaps you’d be better off the ‘mobile delivery receptacle’ that Google has just been granted a patent for.
The patent explains that the mobile delivery receptacle is a vehicle that’s designed to accept drone deliveries and then take them to a secure location like a garage as selected by the user.
It also explains that deliveries made via drones powered by a rotor or impeller can prove to be dangerous to pets, overhead power lines, ceiling fans or residents at a delivery location. Moreover, it may be hard for a drone to ascertain a safe place to lay down the package because leaving it on the front porch of a busy street address brings up the possibility of the package being stolen.
This is where the mobile delivery receptacle will come in handy. It will be informed of an incoming drone delivery and will then move to the drop off location. There it communicates with the drone through infrared to receive the package and then takes the package to the desired location such as the garage.
The patent doesn’t describe the propulsion system for this receptacle even though the illustration shows what’s essentially a box on four wheels. Granted that the package will remain safe inside the receptacle but what’s stopping someone from making off with the receptacle itself? That’s another concern not addressed in the patent.
Google must have thought about something even if that hasn’t been made part of this patent. It’s not like we’ll see this receptacle coming out soon, drone deliveries are still a few years away, and until they arrive there’s really no use for this product.
Filed in Drones and Google. Source: theregister
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