Blimps and drones: a combination made in logistics heaven?
Amazon isn't the only retailer that's looking into drone delivery. Walmart appears to be working on a similar concept but its solution might be a bit different compared to Amazon's. Walmart has filed for a US patent for a floating blimp warehouse which will make delivers via drones. The idea is to have a floating warehouse up in the sky from where Walmart can instantly ship products to customers using drones.
According to the patent filing, the blimp-style floating warehouse would fly at heights between 500 and 1,000 feet. It will have multiple launch bays for sending drone deliveries. The blimp itself will either fly autonomously or be remotely controlled by a human pilot. This solution could help Walmart lower the cost of fulfilling online orders, cutting down on "last mile" costs to a customer's house which is normally handled by a logistics company.
(Score: 1, Spam) by aristarchus on Sunday August 20 2017, @09:22PM (5 children)
No Comments.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 20 2017, @09:43PM
I remember this exact concept being discussed either here or on the green site 1-6 months ago (It gets hazy when you're dealing with a few dozen stories a day and a few hundred plus a week.)
Practically speaking: Is the FAA going to allow this? As a semi-permanent fixture in the air, how is this going to affect airspace for people concern with pollution and other such issues from what is essentially a giant air-barge belching out exhaust above a city, with none of the normal emission control requirements?
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 20 2017, @09:43PM
Hope I Never Discover Evil Nazi Blimps Usurped Regional Grocery Stores.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Monday August 21 2017, @06:53AM (2 children)
I hope they have the decency to use a proper blimp name like "Hindenberg" followed by a number, like Hindenberg 10. Because you know one of these things is going to crash into a bunch of houses, and there's gonna be a reporter that uses that famous line "Oh, the humanity!"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @07:31AM (1 child)
Oh, the commerciality!
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Thursday August 24 2017, @07:52AM
OMG...I cannot believe they did this exact thing in Sharknado 5...