Amazon Enters the Ground Delivery Robot Market

AlphaAtlas

[H]ard|Gawd
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Joining the likes of ground delivery startups like Starship Technologies, Amazon just announced the "Scout" autonomous delivery system. The retail and web hosting giant says that Amazon customers in Snohomish County, Washington can place orders just like they normally would on Amazon, and then potentially get it delivered by a blue Amazon Scout robot. Amazon says they have 6 robots running Monday through Friday during daylight hours, and that they "will initially be accompanied by an Amazon employee" even though they're navigating autonomously.

Check out the video of Amazon Scout here.

We developed Amazon Scout at our research and development lab in Seattle, ensuring the devices can safely and efficiently navigate around pets, pedestrians and anything else in their path.We are happy to welcome Amazon Scout to our growing suite of innovative delivery solutions for customers and look forward to taking the learnings from this first neighborhood so Amazon Scout can, over time, provide even more sustainability and convenience to customer deliveries.
 
Can we just copy and paste the responses from the "Mobile Grocery Store" thread? :p
 
What could possibly go wrong? I'm buying more popcorn. This will be a source of amusement and derision for years.
 
I expect you have to be home for this since you take the package directly from the robot. Also without side walks I don't see it working well in my part of the neighborhood.
 
Can it do multiple deliveries or does it have do got back "home" to get a new delivery?
 
Instant fail. No snow tires and batteries die quickly in sub-zero temps.
 
The trick is to get inside it, so you can sneak into Amazon undetected. :p

probably a loading dock or a small pet animal dock where nobody could get in and out except the bots.
I could see Vandals try and sabotage it but I bet there would be a big sticker saying Bezos will personally prosecute you and you are being recorded via satellite.
 
Using these is just asking for trouble, they will be picked up, put into the back of a van and their contents stolen !!
I wouldn't doubt that.
I'm guess they have alarms and tracking like the rent-able scooters that can be left on the street. I like to know how strong the lock box is, will it last til help arrives before they steal the contents and dump it?
 
I wouldn't doubt that.
I'm guess they have alarms and tracking like the rent-able scooters that can be left on the street. I like to know how strong the lock box is, will it last til help arrives before they steal the contents and dump it?

assuming people even want the stuff inside. around here people would jump the curb and smash it with a truck for fun. on the flip side i cant imagine stuff like this ever getting to a place like chicago either.
 
I figured there would be some kind of scan with your phone or something to unlock it. The video makes it look like the first person who shows up gets to enjoy the contents.
 
Is there a catapult storage room bottom, for when people are not home ?

I am blocked from participating in things like this for 2 reasons, #1 while i have a phone now i would not use it for this. #2 i really would prefer to not have a phone at all, so when i get to there i am fawked.

Thank some deity i don't have that many years to live.

Argument. if a phone are crucial to function in a society, they should be free of charge.
Otherwise IMO that society are turning into a digital dictatorship.
 
Using these is just asking for trouble, they will be picked up, put into the back of a van and their contents stolen !!

Dunno if they will get to the Van part. More likely tipped over, hit with a hammer, broken and package taken right there or in an alley it passes, then the thieves will run away. Neat tech, but these things are just smash and grab bait.
 
Amazon SCOUT???

Everyone knows, the first step in any invasion is to conduct thorough reconnaissance. Amazon is just putting "eyes on" to get the ground truth. They already have behaviors and financials.

The takeover can't be far away. (Maybe that's the 12 year clock Ocasio Cortez was talking about? Kinda like the countdown clock from "Independence Day"?

The parallels are too many!!

;)
 
Amazon hasn't fully thought this through...

  1. What's the range?
  2. How does it deal with snow or varied terrain?
  3. How does it know the human approaching is the legal recipient?
  4. Can it carry more than just one package?

Seriously, this shouldn't have been publicly presented. This is barely an alpha stage presentation.
 
I expect you have to be home for this since you take the package directly from the robot. Also without side walks I don't see it working well in my part of the neighborhood.

My thoughts also. They could text the ordering user's phone to meet the robot curbside.

I can just imagine what would happen when these try rolling past a homeless camp or can't navigate around a street seller with their wares laid out on a blanket.

They could pair it with one of those Boston Dynamics robots for security and opening doors for commercial delivery where the receptionist can't leave the desk. But by that point you might as well have this deliver the package.
boston-dynamics-spotmini-robot-dog.jpg
 
I just dont see the long term financial viability of such a service. This and drone delivery.

neat ideas, but costly in the long term
 
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