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<\/div>DRONING ON<\/h2>
In 2013, we learned about Amazon’s splashy plans<\/a> to drop packages off at customers’ homes using drones. Sure, there have been a few pilot drone deliveries<\/a>, but for the most part, even Amazon hasn’t made that future a reality yet.<\/p> But in Iceland, a startup called Aha has been using drones to deliver hot food and other goods for five months. Its secret: keeping the system very, very simple.<\/p> As we creep towards a future in which drone delivery is commonplace, Aha’s success shows that a simple approach might work best — and that maybe tech giants like Amazon are over-engineering the concept.<\/p> Aha’s delivery drones have no cameras or radar, IEEE <\/em>Spectrum<\/em> reports<\/a>. In fact, they navigate the Reykjavik area using only<\/em> GPS, which keeps them on pre-determined routes selected because they’re free of trees and other obstacles. When they arrive at a customer’s home, the drones lower deliveries — burgers are popular, but the company also sells electronics — on a line.<\/p> That stands in contrast to Amazon’s high-tech approach. In 2014, the company filed documents<\/a> with the FAA claiming that its delivery drones sport “sense-and-avoid sensors.” A patent<\/a> the company filed earlier this year describes a system that lets its drones respond to voice commands, and another patent<\/a> from last year explains a beehive-like structure where drones can roost and collect new items for delivery.<\/p> In this case, the simple approach seems to be winning. Aha says it’s made 500 drone deliveries over the past five months, with no injuries. A delivery costs the equivalent of a modest US $7.<\/p> But don’t count Amazon out yet. The company is still pouring resources<\/a> into its nascent drone program. Maybe it just needs to focus on a simpler set of features.<\/p> READ MORE:<\/strong> Are Delivery Drones Commercially Viable? Iceland Is About to Find Out<\/a> [Spectrum IEEE<\/em>]<\/p> More on drone delivery: Are Delivery Drones Actually Better for the Environment?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p> The post If We Want Drone Delivery to Be a Reality, We’ve Gotta Keep It Simple<\/a> appeared first on Futurism<\/a>.<\/p> Here is the original post: DRONING ON In 2013, we learned about\u00a0 Amazon\u2019s splashy plans to drop packages off at customers\u2019 homes using drones. Sure, there have been a few pilot drone deliveries , but for the most part, even Amazon hasn\u2019t made that future a reality yet. Continue reading BARE BONES<\/h2>
AIN’T BROKE<\/h2>
If We Want Drone Delivery to Be a Reality, We’ve Gotta Keep It Simple<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"