Amazon was recently in the news for one of their patent applications dealing with advances in drone technology. Amazon was granted a patent for its invention on “Directed Fragmentation for Unmanned Airborne Vehicles” (aka self-destructing drones), U.S. Patent No. 9,828,097. While the invention may sound destructive in nature, Amazon designed this unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV) to cause less damage by self-destructing into small pieces, which pose less risk to people and property than fully intact drones.
This self-destructing drone would work hand-in-hand with their other drone technologies, such as their delivery drone technology. If the purchaser selects drone delivery when placing the order, Amazon will assign a flight controller who will determine the flight path and control the operation. A fragmentation controller is also assigned and will be responsible for developing and updating fragmentation sequences. The fragmentation sequence includes a system that will release one or more of the drone’s components if the flight path is interrupted.
The technology is so advanced that the drone will be able to determine a suitable place to eject its components based on “terrain topology information or data [that] can identify certain preferred locations for dropping one or more of the components of the UAV.” The fragmentation controller can determine a desired time for a drone to destruct based on an interrupted flight plan, which “can result in the UAV, and certain parts of the UAV, landing at more preferable or suitable locations.”
This technology is clearly designed for safety but it has some wondering what will happen to the packages and the components after the drone has been destructed. Amazon answered this question with U.S. Patent No. 9,828,091, “Item Delivery with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Retrieval System.” The technology details plans for a service to retrieve drones and their components in a one-way trip. It is further designed to “transport ordered items to the user specified delivery destination but not return to a materials handling facility under its own power. Instead, the one-way UAV may remain at the delivery destination for later retrieval by a retrieval unit (e.g., truck).” In other instances, the UAV will not be returned because it may be disposable, part of the delivery item, and/or it may be made of recyclable material.
Consumers should not expect to see self-destructing drones anytime soon. Amazon still needs to work through FCC compliance and other federal, state, and local government approval.
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