How often when your working on the layout do you need to run out to the store to get something so you can carry on with your work. Well for me PWRS is just a few KMs down the road. I usually punch my order into the computer and it is ready for me when I get there. Firing up the 7.3 LTR Diesel in the F-350 kills me for a short trip like that. I just need to convince Dan to get with the Program like the German Post Office has done. I would never have to leave home. I would be a little worried about having it deliver my new BLI loco that I got on last minute clearance though.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/09/26/germanys-post-office-beats-amazon-and-google-with-launch-of-worlds-first-drone-delivery-service/?__federated=1
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Now where's my shot gun.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Seriously, Bear, would you shoot that thing down after it just delivered your ammunition?
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
Well at least I'll know who to blame if my new BLI Steamer shows up and leaks all over the layout.
After the piece on 60 Minutes about Amazon using drones to deliver packages, there was an editorial cartoon with two guys outside, one with a gun. The conversation was,
"Are you going hunting?"
"No, Christmas shopping."
Richard
RideOnRoad After the piece on 60 Minutes about Amazon using drones to deliver packages, there was an editorial cartoon with two guys outside, one with a gun. The conversation was, "Are you going hunting?" "No, Christmas shopping."
Followed by going to jail for theft? It will be interesting to see how that all goes!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
It´s like an Orwellian nightmare, but for the folks living on those remote islands in the Wadden Sea it´ll be a big help getting urgent medications to them without the need of chartering a helicopter each time. I have my doubts that Deutsche Post will be granted the permission to use it all over Germany.
From the people who brought you the Hindenburg. Gotta get me one of those. Would make it easy to drop road kills into my neighbor's pool.
Charlie
That would last about 10 minutes around here, especially during duck season.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Delivery drone with armed escort drones...
JaBear!
Thanks!
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Geared Steam That would last about 10 minutes around here, especially during duck season.
It's duck season!
No, it's rabbit season!
No, it is drone season!
-E-C-Mills Delivery drone with armed escort drones...
Awesome, more targets ! Need to get more ammunition
Hobbu companies have been selling quadcopters that can carry cameras. Some of nicer, ie more expensive ones, basically are drones. You can create a flight path using GPS waypoints, they can hover in a fixed position, and fly back and land where you took from even with the remote turned off.
I have seen at an airshow that the US Army and Marines now have drones about the size of a large model airplane, that can be launched from a small field.
On a slightly more serious note with very similar technology already available to all off the shelf, I can see any regulatory moves opening a big can of worms. Perhaps I should trade in the shot gun for one of these.......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KsXYK_CNoQ
Or a SeaWiz.
On second thought, the SeaWiz is a whole lot better (and I mean a lot) than those Pom-Pom guns.
About a year ago when Amazon was in the news about considering using delivery drones, I really didnt give it much thought. However for some reason this morning, I got to thinking about this (uh oh!) Looking back and here, it seems people are either excited by it, or laughing it off, or hostile to it. My thoughts are this:
What if the technology is able to reduce shipping costs and increase shipping speeds? I can see this might be good especially for deliveries to more remote locations. Surely those in more dense areas are subsiizing a delivery van and driver to deliver a small package to someplace out in the country? If this lowers overall shipping costs for everyone, that should be a good thing.
Is the hostility a privacy or noise issue? What if the drones fly at high enough altitude to not be noticed or heard, then vertically drop to the delivery point and quickly leave? Whats the difference between this and a UPS truck lumbering down the street and a delivery person running up to your front door?
My previous post I put myself in the shoes of the shipper. There probably will be vandals and thieves shooting and trying to damage my equipment or steal my cargo. I dont think you could lethally arm the delvery drones or escorts. So what would be the counter measure? Paint balls? Rubber bullets? A goup gun?
-E-C-Mills I can see this might be good especially for deliveries to more remote locations.
I live on a dead end road out in an rural agricultural area. My neighbour works out of his house and the only thing that breaks the silence out here is the dozen courier trucks that rumble up and down the street every day going to his house. I would gladly welcome a drone instead. It is a 12 kilometre round trip for these couriers to come out here and they rarely have another stop along the way. I have asked them about that. It would save a lot of oil and air pollution and labour cost to boot.
Make it so!
I have my doubts that the use of delivery drones will lower the cost of shipping. DHL´s parcelcopters have a payload of less than 3 lbs. and need two people to operate it. If you increase the payload to where it will be economical, these beast will grow as big as an elephant, requiring air traffic control to monitor the flight.
-E-C-MillsSo what would be the counter measure? Paint balls? Rubber bullets? A goup gun?
That's an easy one. Video Cameras sending a live feed back to headquarters.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
I worked for the Canadian Federal Government in logistics for 36 years. I dealt with every courier company, Canada Post and the U.S. postal service and other postal and courier companies around the world. Planes, trains, trucks and ships. I also worked with Customs agencies of a lot of countries. I have had many long private meetings with Senators that were conducting regular Senate reviews of the industry, that wanted my opinion on many issues. Though I was a blue collar guy, I worked on many projects in a managerial position. The formulas used in the pick up and delivery end of the business are complex to say the least. I could write hundreds if not thousands of pages on it, if ask to do a full report.
To over simplifly the equation, any area where a driver can not deliver at least 20 items an hour is likely a money loser and would be a candidate for drone delivery. Of course not every item would be light or small enough for drone delivery and there are multitudes of other factors to consider in the equation. However if the formula is right, a drone should work. Why would the courier industry spend millions on drone developement if it didn't think it would work.
Once refined, the number of drones launched per worker will be quite high. One system I read about, had the drones going along a conveyor belt being packed by an employee and then launched after it would egress the building. It would go to target and return without further interface with a person. At least I think that is what it said.
As far as air reg's go. As long as a drone stayed below 600 feet, it should not be an issue with ATC. And of course it would have to stay away from any controlled airspace below 600 feet around airports.
Canada Post just opened the most advanced automated proccessing plant in the world this year. It is at Vancouver International Airport. I am hoping to get an invite for a tour as I am always fascinated by automation. Having spent lots of time in Fedex, UPS and other courier companies facilities over the years, I have always been amazed at the amount of product that gets moved around the world on a daily basis.
Here are some photo's of Canada Post new processing plant. Note the lack of workers. When I started going in to Canada Post facilities all those years ago, there would be hundreds of people moving all this stuff by hand. Now totally automated.
http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2014/09/canada-post-opens-new-200-million-processing-centre-yvr-airport-photos/
I really miss my job, it was the best. Getting old sucks.
carl425 -E-C-Mills So what would be the counter measure? Paint balls? Rubber bullets? A goup gun? That's an easy one. Video Cameras sending a live feed back to headquarters.
-E-C-Mills So what would be the counter measure? Paint balls? Rubber bullets? A goup gun?
Then you are going to have a bunch of people protesting (probably wearing mask) against your drones. Too many people will object to cameras that can recognize faces. As technology like this increases, it seems more and more like the story 1984
KyleAs technology like this increases, it seems more and more like the story 1984
My wife's cell phone has the tracker app thingy on. I borrowed her phone a while back and while I was out it rang. When I answered she said "I see you are at Pacific Western Rail, can you go back to Safeway and get a bag of potatoes?".
I won't be borrowing her phone anymore.
"Always" ahead of us, BATMAN?
Dusty
Dusty Solo "Always" ahead of us, BATMAN? Dusty
If we want to discuss this, let's look back in history.
The US had the first:
The statement was meant in a light hearted way and was not meant to start a peeing match. Since I am Canadian you can take the word "us" as me referring to Canada if that will get your back down.
Kyle On a slightly more serious note with very similar technology already available to all off the shelf, I can see any regulatory moves opening a big can of worms. Perhaps I should trade in the shot gun for one of these.......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KsXYK_CNoQ Or a SeaWiz. On second thought, the SeaWiz is a whole lot better (and I mean a lot) than those Pom-Pom guns.
Obviously, your familiarity to this weapon is only through the mass media. There is a very active debate as to whether the acronym CWIS (spoken "See-whiz") stands for "Christ, It Won't Shoot" or "Casualty-Intensive Weapons System".
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Kyle Dusty Solo "Always" ahead of us, BATMAN? Dusty If we want to discuss this, let's look back in history. The US had the first: Assembly lines, and first mass produced car Ford Model T First airplane First jumbo aircraft 747 (which a lot lasted the British/French Concord) First and ONLY 5th generation fighter jet (F22 Raptor) A whole lot more
As an American, I always get annoyed when my fellow citizens can't take some good natured ribbing. I'm proud to be American, but not so proud that it makes me blind. We have our failings, not the least of which is not to give credit where credit is due.
We invented neither the automobile nor the assembly line. They were invented by a German and an Englishman.
The Wright Brothers did indeed make the first powered, heavier than air flight. But they didn't invent the airplane, and in fact were a couple of johhny come latelies to the race to make the first powered flight.
Since the 747 is about 10 times as lage as the Concorde and not supersonic, this is an apples and oranges comparison.
Yes, we were the first to produce a fifth generation fighter... at a cost so high tbat we can only afford about 100 of them, and have already ceased production. Yeah, let's pat ourselves on the back for that one.
And there are good examples out there. But to insist on primacy in everything is ridiculous.
And before you foamer patriots jump all over that concept, this thread isn't the place for this discussion.
BATMAN The statement was meant in a light hearted way and was not meant to start a peeing match. SincesmileyCanadian ydon't want what I posted to be the causecan take the word "us" as me referring to Canada if that will get your back down.
The statement was meant in a light hearted way and was not meant to start a peeing match. SincesmileyCanadian ydon't want what I posted to be the causecan take the word "us" as me referring to Canada if that will get your back down.
Oh dear. Contrary to your perception of what I wrote, BATMAN, I was in fact having a little fun with you - that was my intention anyway.
I'm pretty sure that I'm not so overly sensitive an individual - certainly not so much as to be agreived by the word, "always" Maybe I should have used a smiley face like this one to show that I was not spitting venom.
Man, I really need to watch what I say around here, eh.
I would be very dissapointed if what I posted was the cause of a cross border fracas. Btw,, what is a "peeing contest"? A new Olympic demonstration sport perhaps?[
CTValley - just to stand correct - the first powered flight was done in 1901 by a man called Gustav Weisskopf, who only now finds recognition for that. A month before Wilbur and Orville Wright took to the skies, a man called Karl Jatho made the second powered flight near Hannover Germany.
Reference:
Gustav Weisskopf
Karl Jatho