Amazon Has Patented A Flying Warehouse
- 7 years ago
Amazon has been granted a patent for a flying warehouse that drones can use to deliver packages.
Amazon has been granted a patent for a flying warehouse that drones can use to deliver packages, reports CNBC.
The official concept listed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s database is called an “Airborne fulfillment center utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles for item delivery.”
The accompanying description explains that such a hub, termed an AFC for short, would be part of an airship which, in their words, “may be positioned...above a metropolitan area and be designed to maintain an inventory of items that may be purchased by a user and delivered to the user by a UAV [drone] that is deployed from the AFC.”
A drawing shows a vehicle similar to a blimp hauling a large container underneath.
Among the proposed advantages to this system are improved power efficiencies, customizable navigation, and delivery speed described as “near instant gratification.”
Amazon points out that the AFC could be especially useful during events like a football game where it can be situated nearby and deliver high-demand items such as food or sporting goods.
The patent was
Amazon has been granted a patent for a flying warehouse that drones can use to deliver packages, reports CNBC.
The official concept listed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s database is called an “Airborne fulfillment center utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles for item delivery.”
The accompanying description explains that such a hub, termed an AFC for short, would be part of an airship which, in their words, “may be positioned...above a metropolitan area and be designed to maintain an inventory of items that may be purchased by a user and delivered to the user by a UAV [drone] that is deployed from the AFC.”
A drawing shows a vehicle similar to a blimp hauling a large container underneath.
Among the proposed advantages to this system are improved power efficiencies, customizable navigation, and delivery speed described as “near instant gratification.”
Amazon points out that the AFC could be especially useful during events like a football game where it can be situated nearby and deliver high-demand items such as food or sporting goods.
The patent was