Amazon is known for their interest in the quick and fast delivery of orders using every means possible including unmanned areal vehicles such as parachutes and drone deliveries. In their latest attempt, according to Bloomberg Tech, the company has filed a patent to create mobile platforms for maintenance of these drones.
According to the public patent filing, the company is still in the early stages of developing mobile platforms that can track the drones, change their batteries and keep a track of their maintenance. The patent revealed Amazon was exploring the idea of building special facilities that can store, repair and deploy drones by using a sophisticated network of mobile infrastructure to support those deliveries. This patent was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier this week.
The company, according to the patent, plans to set up a network of intermodal delivery systems that would act as both a maintenance hub and a merchandise warehouse. The patent describes even a standard shipping container that could be loaded onto a locomotive, can be fitted with an automated door on the ceiling for the drones to enter and exit. The locomotive vehicle will be able to communicate with the drone as the shipping container will be equipped with not only extra batteries and a robotic arm, but also a computer system. The computer system will allow the locomotive to also move to a new location to pick up a drone, replace the battery or repair the drone if damaged and release it again to carry out deliveries.
The 47 pages document also discusses the possibility of a secondary car or container that would carry extra items in the places where ‘demand for such inventory items may be reasonably anticipated’ in an attempt to reasonably shorten the delivery time. Amazon, through unmanned areal delivery, is looking to provide more flexibility in their delivery services and automatically evaluate their fleet of drones.
Recently, Amazon, which has had a long standing ambition for autonomous package delivery, has also patented an idea for under water storage and delivery pods. Amazon spokespersons have declined to comment on this latest patent filing.