Alphabet Project Wing Delivery Drones Sound like F1 Cars According to Angry Aussies

[cageymaru]

Over 1,000 Australians living in the flight path of the Alphabet Project Wing delivery drone service have signed a petition and submitted it to the local legislative assembly to have the service terminated. Bonython Against Drones is a group of residents that say the cameras on the drones are intrusive, the sound coming from the drones is noisy and the service is unnecessary. Residents liken the sound emitted from the high pitched propellers on the delivery drones as reminiscent to a "chain saw gone ballistic" or "F1 car." 64 year old resident Robyn McIntyre says that she's heard 10 drones fly over her home in a 2 1/2 hour time span.

Customers can order items such as coffee, food, hardware supplies, and over-the-counter medications from various local retailers with the autonomous drone service. Some residents stay indoors to avoid the high pitched whine of the drones and wildlife such as the local magpie population launch dive bomb attacks at the drones. Not all of Robyn McIntyre's neighbors are against the drones. Ms. Clarke, who has three children, orders multiple simple items daily such as sunscreen lotion. It takes her 25 minutes to travel to the store and back alone. It only takes 7 minutes for the drone to deliver it. Vietnam veteran Warwick Brooker, 72, said, "If flying burritos bring joy to others, I can live with that." The Wing service is coming to Finland in 2019.

Wing, which has been testing drones in Australia since 2014, said it hopes to improve the service. It is developing a quieter drone. It modified flight paths so the drones, equipped with 12 rotors to hover and two propellers, don't fly over the same houses all the time. And it slowed down the drones, which have a top speed of roughly 78 miles an hour. A Wing-commissioned study from advisory firm AlphaBeta determined that drone deliveries in Canberra alone could reduce delivery costs for businesses by about $9 million annually.

 

[Galvin]

F that shit. Drones are loud as F. And those are super loud based on the video I watched

 

[BoiseTech]

Can't they just increase altitude to offset their sound?

 

[Crackinjahcs]

Ms. Clarke, who has three children, orders multiple simple items daily such as sunscreen lotion. It takes her 25 minutes to travel to the store and back alone. It only takes 7 minutes for the drone to deliver it.

Or you could learn how to plan ahead, maintain a supply of ready-use items in your house, and combine your trips.

 

[Wolfkin]

Well knowing Finns, when those drones come to Finland and the sound is annoyingly loud (and I bet it is) those drones will be shot down, Finns don't suffer crap lightly.

So far I haven't come across any drone that can hold position and hover that isn't loud as hell. Everyone here knows that a small fan on very high rpm is painfully loud.

 

[dgz]

But what kind of F1 car? Is it a hybrid era car or a V10?

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

I think this is really cool, and the future.

It is understandable that the noise issue is ticking people off. That is obviously something they are going to have to work on. It's one thing if you just hear one occasionally when there is a delivery in your neighborhood. To these people I'd just say suck it up.

It's another thing all together if you happen to live near a hub and these things are whizzing overhead constantly. That would make even me, a normally peaceful guy, want to shoot them down.

Hopefully the new propeller design they were discussing in the video will help.

Can't they just increase altitude to offset their sound?

I'd imagine this would take quite a toll on battery life having to climb and descend repeatedly. It might even make the whole concept unworkable due to the reduced range. That, and they can't run into commercial airspace, or they quickly become a safety issue.

Or you could learn how to plan ahead, maintain a supply of ready-use items in your house, and combine your trips.

To consumers convenience is and always will be king. If given the option between having to plan, and do without if their planning fails, and having instant service, people will always choose the latter.

The thing I don't get is how this is cost effective. These drones are likely not cheap and they'll need frequent recharging, so there are probably several off them charging for every one currently in the air. I also wonder what their effective delivery range is with the limitations of battery charge. And how much of a payload can they carry?

Right now those partnering with Wing are probably being given a low introductory pricing, or no cost at all just to allow Google/Wing to test the technology. Once it becomes commercial - however - this is likely going to be costly. How will these costs be made up? You bet at least partially via more data collection...


In the grand scheme though, even if this just reduces road congestion, it is worth it. Just work on the noise issue.

 

[surlyroad]

Bonython? I'd have named them the Chazzwazzers.

 

[IcePickFreak]

But what kind of F1 car? Is it a hybrid era car or a V10?

If it doesn't sound like a V8 Supercar aussies don't care.

 

[Merc1138]

"The noise the drone makes is a noise human ears aren't used to hearing at this point" Bullshit. People being used to it doesn't change the fact that it's annoying. I'm used to hearing lawnmowers and weedwackers, and a neighbor using theirs for a bit is fine. To have them constantly running the damn thing would drive anyone nuts and there's no "getting used to hearing it".

 

[Flexion]

I like F1 cars...

Clearly they haven't seen that X-Files episode where the technology fights back. XD
(Season 11 Episode 7 if anyone is curious.)

 

[Wrecked Em]

Can't they just increase altitude to offset their sound?

You need to stay under a certain altitude to not be under faa (or whatever is in AUS) control. Operating in this airspace autonomously, outside of your line of sight, requires permission that's typically reserved for military. It's rarely granted in the US. Only once I can think of.

 

[Wrecked Em]

Also, I'd bet the sound they're describing is only at take-off and land. A drone operating in fixed wing mode is is about as loud as typical RC buggy. You'd never hear it unless you were outside and it flew within 100' of you.

 

[BloodyIron]

So loud cars driving down the road is okay, but something like this isn't... Uh okay...

 

[sfsuphysics]

So loud cars driving down the road is okay, but something like this isn't... Uh okay...

Loud cars usually can be addressed with fences and other barriers that physically deflect sound. Plus the drones I've heard tend to be a bit higher pitched sound which tends to be more annoying than the lower pitched rumble that is a car.engine

 

[masquap]

You need to stay under a certain altitude to not be under faa (or whatever is in AUS) control. Operating in this airspace autonomously, outside of your line of sight, requires permission that's typically reserved for military. It's rarely granted in the US. Only once I can think of.

CASA, Civil Aviation Safety Authority

 

[Tsumi]

So loud cars driving down the road is okay, but something like this isn't... Uh okay...

There are noise ordinances in a lot of places specifically limiting how loud of an exhaust you can have. Like using offroad lights on the road, it's a law not often enforced unfortunately.

 

[seanreisk]

It's interesting that Kickstart Expresso has a rooster as their company symbol, because I have two roosters living next door. And I promise you that at 3 AM I'd rather hear a drone delivering coffee.

 

[RAutrey]

I wonder the median age of the members of this BAD group.

 

[sfsuphysics]

we're slowly getting there!

 

[Zuul]

Or you could learn how to plan ahead, maintain a supply of ready-use items in your house, and combine your trips.

At first I loled at her depending on sunscreen, then I realized she's in Australia and she would save 18 minutes a day with the drone to get to her fucking sunscreen. Think about it, 18 minutes in the sun a day! That's a major savings right there. Imaginge having to drive 25 minutes in the sun to get lotion daily. OR you could fucking get inside, OR get a fucking roof on your tractor Ford Falcon
edit: no I didn't read the fucking article. edit 2: Fucking 25 minutes?

 

[motqalden]

The lady in the video talks about how "hard" it is to load up her kids in the car and drive to get a coffee. How about make your own damn coffee you lazy bitch..

 

[Merc1138]

So loud cars driving down the road is okay, but something like this isn't... Uh okay...

No, it's not okay.

The difference though, is that unless it's one of your neighbors, the ass driving through a residential area with his exhaust cut-out open or idiot with the fart pipe, whistle-tip, etc. usually passes once and they're gone. If it is one of your neighbors constantly doing laps around the block, yeah you can do something about that usually.

 

[BloodyIron]

And yet drones can be flown in such a way that those same barriers block the sound...

Loud cars usually can be addressed with fences and other barriers that physically deflect sound. Plus the drones I've heard tend to be a bit higher pitched sound which tends to be more annoying than the lower pitched rumble that is a car.engine

 

[sfsuphysics]

And yet drones can be flown in such a way that those same barriers block the sound...

They could... but they aren't.

Cars are really restricted to certain pathways, we call them roads. Drones have no equivalent unless local laws make them, so far the only rules in the US have to do with height restrictions, nothing that says you can't fly over personal property.

 

[nightfly]

These drones are likely not cheap and they'll need frequent recharging, so there are probably several off them charging for every one currently in the air.

Replacable battery packs, like you have on construction hand tools. Unplug one, stick it in a charger, plug in a new one and off the drone goes. Zero down time for the drone. Can't wait until I get my first pizza delivered by drone. I wonder if they'll put some kind of stuff in the box to keep the cheese from sliding off the pie and into the corner of the box.

This is, after all, the same idea as I have suggested for electric cars. Just keep battery packs on a charging rack at gas stations. Pull in, open trunk (or wherever the pack is located), switch packs can be as easy as releasing a catch and plugging in a new one. Does away with all the problems of charging. But you need standardized size battery packs. You know, like we have for AAA, AA, C, D and 9V small cells, and certain size vehicle battery sizes. It will take an act of congress to create standard size battery packs, but once it's done, the problem is over. Want more or longer performance? Use two packs. Really big vehicle? Use three or four packs, just like you would use a larger gas tank or a larger engine. It's not the complicated, but of course, it will end the corporation's ability to charge it's customers through the nose for their 'proprietary' battery connector designs.
Most charging can be done during off hours, while the power stations aren't being utilized much.

 

[Merc1138]

Replacable battery packs, like you have on construction hand tools. Unplug one, stick it in a charger, plug in a new one and off the drone goes. Zero down time for the drone.

This is the same idea as I have suggested for electric cars. Just keep battery packs on a charging rack at gas stations. Pull in, open trunk (or wherever the pack is located), switch packs can be as easy as releasing a catch and plugging in a new one. Does away with all the problems of charging. But you need standardized size battery packs. You know, like we have for AAA, AA, C, D and 9V small cells, and certain size vehicle battery sizes. It will take an act of congress to create standard size battery packs, but once it's done, the problem is over. Want more or longer performance? Use two packs. Really big vehicle? Use three or four packs, just like you would use a larger gas tank or a larger engine. It's not the complicated, but of course, it will end the corporation's ability to charge it's customers through the nose for their 'proprietary' battery connector designs.
Most charging can be done during off hours, while the power stations aren't being utilized much.

The problem with that, is the batteries are usually very difficult to gain access to. You can check any video about swapping a prius battery on youtube to see what I mean. Yes, standardization could do a lot, but the battery still needs to be basically locked into place since the last thing you want is a 500 pound brick flying in a car accident. Being able to swap batteries would definitely do a hell of a lot for making electric vehicles actually usable for people though.

 

[KD5ZXG]

I'm thinking Dyson hair drier baloons.
Electric propulsion, wax fuel for hot air.

 

[BloodyIron]

So instead of petitioning for them to cease completely, how about having them have travel paths that are acceptable to the populous? omfg I just solved world peace.

They could... but they aren't.

Cars are really restricted to certain pathways, we call them roads. Drones have no equivalent unless local laws make them, so far the only rules in the US have to do with height restrictions, nothing that says you can't fly over personal property.

 

[nightfly]

The problem with that, is the batteries are usually very difficult to gain access to.

Yep, and I'm betting that could easily be addressed. Remember, the manufacturers don't want them to be easily accessible for the very reason that they don't want customers easily replacing those very expensive battery packs. Lots of $$$$ in bringing them in to be changed by their service techs. And as you've seen in those videos on youtube, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to change those batteries. If we can figure out ways to run trains and subways on moving electrical contacts, we can figure out ways to use bayonet type connectors on automotive batteries to make replacing them quick, easy and safe.....even for morons. The obstacle is the manufacturers who stand to lose their monopoly on those batteries. This is a no brainer, and it's something that needs to be done, because until it is, the motor vehicle and energy companies will just drag their feet to keep the status quo. Just another example of conservative thinking blocking progress, in order to enrich the few at the expense of the general population not only of money, but time.

 

[Merc1138]

Yep, and I'm betting that could easily be addressed. Remember, the manufacturers don't want them to be easily accessible for the very reason that they don't want customers easily replacing those very expensive battery packs. Lots of $$$$ in bringing them in to be changed by their service techs. And as you've seen in those videos on youtube, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to change those batteries. If we can figure out ways to run trains and subways on moving electrical contacts, we can figure out ways to use bayonet type connectors on automotive batteries to make replacing them quick, easy and safe.....even for morons. The obstacle is the manufacturers who stand to lose their monopoly on those batteries. This is a no brainer, and it's something that needs to be done, because until it is, the motor vehicle and energy companies will just drag their feet to keep the status quo. Just another example of conservative thinking blocking progress, in order to enrich the few at the expense of the general population not only of money, but time.

Part of it, having them hidden behind 5 body panels to keep people from wanting to change them, sure. The actually keeping them bolted into place with a half dozen brackets, when most people don't even own a torque wrench is the problem(and it's not like that keeps people from changing the things).

The electrical connection is easy to deal with. There's tons of fittings out there that can handle the current. The problem is, where in the vehicle do you place this massive battery that is easy to get to, doesn't interfere with things like cabin/cargo space, doesn't upset the handling of the vehicle, all the while secure in place while being easily detachable. Not sure why you chose to cut out the entirety of my post after the first sentence, but as I pointed out in that post it's not exactly easy to design something like that AND have it be standardized. The battery packs on cordless tools weigh a negligible fraction of what a car battery needs to, and do not need to remain secured in a 60mph collision and still remain easily accessible at the same time. Heck, just look at those tools, most of the time the battery goes on the ass-end, right? You can't exactly replace a car bumper with a battery. Under the car? That makes swapping things a massive pain in the ass and even Tesla seems to have given up on that(you'd need an openable pit underneath the vehicle, and remember there's a reason customers don't drive their cars over the pit at your local oil change place). You could put it under the hood, but again how sturdy can you make the mechanism holding the thing? Put it in the cargo area and you'll need to put interior body panels over it again.

 

[nightfly]

Okay I quoted the whole thing.

Part of it, having them hidden behind 5 body panels to keep people from wanting to change them, sure. The actually keeping them bolted into place with a half dozen brackets, when most people don't even own a torque wrench is the problem(and it's not like that keeps people from changing the things).

The electrical connection is easy to deal with. There's tons of fittings out there that can handle the current. The problem is, where in the vehicle do you place this massive battery that is easy to get to, doesn't interfere with things like cabin/cargo space, doesn't upset the handling of the vehicle, all the while secure in place while being easily detachable. Not sure why you chose to cut out the entirety of my post after the first sentence, but as I pointed out in that post it's not exactly easy to design something like that AND have it be standardized. The battery packs on cordless tools weigh a negligible fraction of what a car battery needs to, and do not need to remain secured in a 60mph collision and still remain easily accessible at the same time. Heck, just look at those tools, most of the time the battery goes on the ass-end, right? You can't exactly replace a car bumper with a battery. Under the car? That makes swapping things a massive pain in the ass and even Tesla seems to have given up on that(you'd need an openable pit underneath the vehicle, and remember there's a reason customers don't drive their cars over the pit at your local oil change place). You could put it under the hood, but again how sturdy can you make the mechanism holding the thing? Put it in the cargo area and you'll need to put interior body panels over it again.

Make the battery pack flat. Now that we don't have exhaust and driveshafts, slide it into a pocket under the car, either under the passenger compartment, under the hood, or on the sides of the trunk. They're not THAT heavy. If Porsche can convince people that hanging a 450 pound engine behind the rear wheels is okay, putting a battery pack (or two) which is easier to place than engine someplace should be a piece of cake. One, or Two if you want a more powerful vehicle, flat battery packs into some sort of slot beneath the vehicle which could be sealed from under the car from the elements, as well as vented from tubular vents from an opening from the front which would provide passive airflow when moving or assisted (just like your computer fan) when stationary. Such slots would be essentially just like your hot swap docks in your computer, only bigger, stronger, and the container area would be weather proof other than from the venting. Unlock device door, open door, pull out battery pack and if it's too heavy use a hand truck, bring back to garage to charging station, replace with new battery, close door, lock door. Done. People are making this way to complicated. Remember that the car companies have a vested interest to KEEP it as complicated as possible to avoid this from becoming a reality, just as the tool makers keep those proprietary shaped and wired connections for their tools all different, even though what's inside is absolutely identical. I could design something like this. You probably could as well. Look at where Toyota put their prius battery. It's there because they want it out of the way. But there's no reason why you can't put it somewhere else, oh, like under the front hood right in front of the windshield, and place the door for it on the side of the car. Slide in, slide out. Can be done.

Drones will work the same, with replaceable battery packs. Zero down time. Both cars and drones will of course have the same 'press a button and see how much charge is left' technology for the technician to determine how much power is left, and on your car you have to pay for the electrons you've used.Of course a more finely adjusted gauge inside would be used to determine the actual cost.

the battery of a tool goes on the ass end for balance. The old ones (my Makita 9.6V ones, for example) had the batteries in the handle.

Just like all the batteries before them, standardization is the biggest hurdle, and all because of who is going to get the money. Because once discount battery packs are available, the price will plummet. The batteries you buy at walmart auto are made by the same companies that charge double for their name on the label.

 

[AlphaFox]

All the people against it in the video are old and fat; everyone knows you cant trust old fat guys.

 

[Merc1138]

Okay I quoted the whole thing.


Make the battery pack flat. Now that we don't have exhaust and driveshafts, slide it into a pocket under the car, either under the passenger compartment, under the hood, or on the sides of the trunk. They're not THAT heavy. If Porsche can convince people that hanging a 450 pound engine behind the rear wheels is okay, putting a battery pack (or two) which is easier to place than engine someplace should be a piece of cake. One, or Two if you want a more powerful vehicle, flat battery packs into some sort of slot beneath the vehicle which could be sealed from under the car from the elements, as well as vented from tubular vents from an opening from the front which would provide passive airflow when moving or assisted (just like your computer fan) when stationary. Such slots would be essentially just like your hot swap docks in your computer, only bigger, stronger, and the container area would be weather proof other than from the venting. Unlock device door, open door, pull out battery pack and if it's too heavy use a hand truck, bring back to garage to charging station, replace with new battery, close door, lock door. Done. People are making this way to complicated. Remember that the car companies have a vested interest to KEEP it as complicated as possible to avoid this from becoming a reality, just as the tool makers keep those proprietary shaped and wired connections for their tools all different, even though what's inside is absolutely identical. I could design something like this. You probably could as well. Look at where Toyota put their prius battery. It's there because they want it out of the way. But there's no reason why you can't put it somewhere else, oh, like under the front hood right in front of the windshield, and place the door for it on the side of the car. Slide in, slide out. Can be done.

Drones will work the same, with replaceable battery packs. Zero down time. Both cars and drones will of course have the same 'press a button and see how much charge is left' technology for the technician to determine how much power is left, and on your car you have to pay for the electrons you've used.Of course a more finely adjusted gauge inside would be used to determine the actual cost.

the battery of a tool goes on the ass end for balance. The old ones (my Makita 9.6V ones, for example) had the batteries in the handle.

Just like all the batteries before them, standardization is the biggest hurdle, and all because of who is going to get the money. Because once discount battery packs are available, the price will plummet. The batteries you buy at walmart auto are made by the same companies that charge double for their name on the label.

You cannot use passive airflow to cool a battery of that size, without having what would effectively be an armored heatsink over it, which then would have to be secured, not come loose in a collision, etc. Again, there are reasons why Tesla who puts their batteries under the floorboards dead center of the vehicle and keeps the center of gravity as low as they can(yes I know batteries can balance a hand tool, this is why I mentioned the handling of the car), hasn't done anything with this battery quick swap in 4 years. It's not just weather proof, it needs to withstand crap the from the freeway being kicked up into it at high speed. Most RC drones do not have that issue.

It's not about people making this more complicated than it needs to be, you're making this simpler than it needs to be and taking less consideration with a battery pack than vehicle manufacturers already have to with gas tanks. Your hand tools don't weigh 4,000 pounds and need to survive getting slammed into objects at 50mph without turning passengers into paste, or bursting into flames 2 seconds after the collision. The same goes for drones for that matter. You cannot just scale up your RC car from when you were a kid, these things fortunately do not work that way.

Your complete lack of consideration of the differences in mass and speeds of vehicles vs rc cars and power tools would reuslt in the EV equivalent of a Ford Pinto that would burst into flames in a 20mph collision.