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For others interested in how these Sparrow (“Platform 1”) drones operate: - Cruises at 80-120m and 60mph - Max payload of 1.8kg - 50 mile max delivery distan

For others interested in how these Sparrow (“Platform 1”) drones operate: - Cruises at 80-120m and 60mph - Max payload of 1.8kg - 50 mile max delivery distance (although it can fly 190 mile on a single charge) - Payload dropped by parachute from 25-30m into a 5m diameter landing zone. More details on Wikipedia[1] and the Zipline site[2] [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipline_(drone_delivery_company) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipline_(drone_delivery_comp... [2] https://www.flyzipline.com/technology https://www.flyzipline.com/technology

mardifoufs 3y ago
I'm pretty sure Uber is now profitable. Not surprising considering the absurd prices they now charge for delivery. (probably not absurd w.r.t actual cost, but very very far away from the prices that they were charging when they started Uber eats)
silviot 3y ago
They parachute deliver blood, but they will use a different technique for consumers. From their website: > Lowering from the body of the Platform 2 Zip, this little droid uses onboard perception to leave packages exactly where they're supposed to go, whether that's a doorstep or patio table.
- RichieAHB 3y ago
  While that is true for Platform 2 drones, from reading this article [1] it seems the ruling currently only applies to Platform 1 drones (ie. the specs I was referencing). Although it does seem like the Platform 2 drones would be more of what you’d imagine for drones dropping consumer packages in the US. And that article goes on to state that this ruling seems like a jumping off point for securing further exemptions (ie for the Platform 2). [1] https://dronedj.com/2023/09/19/zipline-earns-faa-bvlos-exemption-crucial-to-unlocking-full-drone-delivery-potential/ https://dronedj.com/2023/09/19/zipline-earns-faa-bvlos-exemp...
- martincmartin 3y ago
  The FAA release is very short, only 3 short paragraphs. The third sentence is: Zipline is an FAA-certificated Part 135 operator and will use its Sparrow drone to release the payload via parachute.
system2 3y ago
Standard brick weights about 2 kg (4 pounds). Plus the drone itself probably another 2 lbs. Imagine getting bonked by a malfunctioning 6 lbs. drone at 200 mph.
- XorNot 3y ago
  This device though doesn't have the density of a brick, and it is aerodynamic: failure modes wouldn't be an uncontrolled freefall, it would be a stable glide. You could fail-safe this by adding parachute pyrotechnics which require an active command signal to not deploy: that way the worst case total electrical failure of a drone would immediately deploy chutes to slow it down. This seems like a much more acceptable control then the failure mode of a car: which weighs 2 tons and contrary to popular belief only stays on roads by convention.
- crooked-v 3y ago
  That's already more or less a solved problem with consumer drones: outside a catastrophic mechanical failure like a wing shattering or the motherboars spontaneously dying, the failure state is that the drone either returns to its starting location using GPS, or hovers and waits for manual control until its battery is almost out and then slowly descends while beeping loudly.
  - meheleventyone 3y ago
    The current version of the drones used here and mentioned by the FAA is a fixed wing design though, it’s only the second version that has the ability to hover. A loss of power at low altitude is going to mean it crashes into something. Reading through the links in the article there’s a lot of mention of their Detect & Avoidance system so presumably it can somewhat safely steer through the airspace. I assume given the 5m radius for drops they’re going to be operating in places that mostly have low density though. I’d also assume that they’d plan flight paths to be as safe as possible.
    - singularity2001 3y ago
      in the video, it says that they have backup components or everything, and if they fail a parachute activates
Vecr 3y ago
[flagged]
- Gasp0de 3y ago
  This is the most disgusting comment I have read on the internet in a while.
  - baq 3y ago
    Haven’t seen Ukraine FPV drone videos, have you.
    - Gasp0de 3y ago
      Luckily, I have not, nor do I want to. Using these cool inventions to kill people seems like a waste. The amount of resources wasted on wars is a shame. Solving problems like the energy transition to renewables would be so much easier with the kind of budget that literally gets blown up because one man with a tiny ego wants to hurt another man with a tiny ego.
      - baq 3y ago
        This attitude won't help you stop wars from happening, though. You can hope it won't happen, know it's a waste and still expect any technology to be evaluated for usefullnes in warfare, be it trade, cyberspace or plain old kinetic conflicts. Thinking otherwise is irrational.
throwfaraway398 3y ago
With these specs, I wonder if some countries military wouldn't be willing to offer them more money than they could ever make with deliveries... (At least on a per-drone basis)
- fragmede 3y ago
  1.8kg isn't much of a payload, nor is a 5m diameter very accurate for military use.
  - BurningFrog 3y ago
    It's 2-5 hand grenades.
    - true_religion 3y ago
      Most of the time if you've decided to go the 'air superiority' route, then you're in a traditional war. So I feel that the cost-value factors will still favor dropping larger ordinance from much larger drones.
      - op00to 3y ago
        Have you watched any of the drone footage from Ukraine? They are dropping hand grenades and modified mortar shells into tanks from drones. Mortar shells have about 500g of HE. Highly effective.
        hef19898 3y ago
        And yet Ukraine is stopped by old school mine fields... Well, slowed down considerably. It is almost as if everything is a trafe off with benefits and downsides. Drones work until drone-specific AA is developed, and then it will be the same race we see between tanks and anti-tank weapons.
        jncfhnb 3y ago
concordDance 3y ago
The most important number isn't in your list: noise level That's what really needs solving for mass drones to take off.
- lathiat 3y ago
  They actually solved that. Watch Mark Robers video at 13m50s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOWDNBu9DkU&t=830s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOWDNBu9DkU&t=830s However this FAA approval is apparently for the Gen1 fixed wing plane (which is quieter than a drone anyway). Their Gen2 "drone" design is barely audible.
  - bakies 3y ago
    the same quiet propellers are on both drones
amelius 3y ago
And what's the computer platform they use on board?

mardifoufs 3y ago

I'm pretty sure Uber is now profitable. Not surprising considering the absurd prices they now charge for delivery. (probably not absurd w.r.t actual cost, but very very far away from the prices that they were charging when they started Uber eats)

silviot 3y ago

They parachute deliver blood, but they will use a different technique for consumers. From their website: > Lowering from the body of the Platform 2 Zip, this little droid uses onboard perception to leave packages exactly where they're supposed to go, whether that's a doorstep or patio table.

RichieAHB 3y ago
While that is true for Platform 2 drones, from reading this article [1] it seems the ruling currently only applies to Platform 1 drones (ie. the specs I was referencing). Although it does seem like the Platform 2 drones would be more of what you’d imagine for drones dropping consumer packages in the US. And that article goes on to state that this ruling seems like a jumping off point for securing further exemptions (ie for the Platform 2). [1] https://dronedj.com/2023/09/19/zipline-earns-faa-bvlos-exemption-crucial-to-unlocking-full-drone-delivery-potential/ https://dronedj.com/2023/09/19/zipline-earns-faa-bvlos-exemp...
martincmartin 3y ago
The FAA release is very short, only 3 short paragraphs. The third sentence is: Zipline is an FAA-certificated Part 135 operator and will use its Sparrow drone to release the payload via parachute.

system2 3y ago

Standard brick weights about 2 kg (4 pounds). Plus the drone itself probably another 2 lbs. Imagine getting bonked by a malfunctioning 6 lbs. drone at 200 mph.

XorNot 3y ago
This device though doesn't have the density of a brick, and it is aerodynamic: failure modes wouldn't be an uncontrolled freefall, it would be a stable glide. You could fail-safe this by adding parachute pyrotechnics which require an active command signal to not deploy: that way the worst case total electrical failure of a drone would immediately deploy chutes to slow it down. This seems like a much more acceptable control then the failure mode of a car: which weighs 2 tons and contrary to popular belief only stays on roads by convention.
crooked-v 3y ago
That's already more or less a solved problem with consumer drones: outside a catastrophic mechanical failure like a wing shattering or the motherboars spontaneously dying, the failure state is that the drone either returns to its starting location using GPS, or hovers and waits for manual control until its battery is almost out and then slowly descends while beeping loudly.
- meheleventyone 3y ago
  The current version of the drones used here and mentioned by the FAA is a fixed wing design though, it’s only the second version that has the ability to hover. A loss of power at low altitude is going to mean it crashes into something. Reading through the links in the article there’s a lot of mention of their Detect & Avoidance system so presumably it can somewhat safely steer through the airspace. I assume given the 5m radius for drops they’re going to be operating in places that mostly have low density though. I’d also assume that they’d plan flight paths to be as safe as possible.
  - singularity2001 3y ago
    in the video, it says that they have backup components or everything, and if they fail a parachute activates

Vecr 3y ago

[flagged]

Gasp0de 3y ago
This is the most disgusting comment I have read on the internet in a while.
- baq 3y ago
  Haven’t seen Ukraine FPV drone videos, have you.
  - Gasp0de 3y ago
    Luckily, I have not, nor do I want to. Using these cool inventions to kill people seems like a waste. The amount of resources wasted on wars is a shame. Solving problems like the energy transition to renewables would be so much easier with the kind of budget that literally gets blown up because one man with a tiny ego wants to hurt another man with a tiny ego.
    - baq 3y ago
      This attitude won't help you stop wars from happening, though. You can hope it won't happen, know it's a waste and still expect any technology to be evaluated for usefullnes in warfare, be it trade, cyberspace or plain old kinetic conflicts. Thinking otherwise is irrational.

throwfaraway398 3y ago

With these specs, I wonder if some countries military wouldn't be willing to offer them more money than they could ever make with deliveries... (At least on a per-drone basis)

fragmede 3y ago
1.8kg isn't much of a payload, nor is a 5m diameter very accurate for military use.
- BurningFrog 3y ago
  It's 2-5 hand grenades.
  - true_religion 3y ago
    Most of the time if you've decided to go the 'air superiority' route, then you're in a traditional war. So I feel that the cost-value factors will still favor dropping larger ordinance from much larger drones.
    - op00to 3y ago
      Have you watched any of the drone footage from Ukraine? They are dropping hand grenades and modified mortar shells into tanks from drones. Mortar shells have about 500g of HE. Highly effective.
      - hef19898 3y ago
        And yet Ukraine is stopped by old school mine fields... Well, slowed down considerably. It is almost as if everything is a trafe off with benefits and downsides. Drones work until drone-specific AA is developed, and then it will be the same race we see between tanks and anti-tank weapons.
        jncfhnb 3y ago

concordDance 3y ago

The most important number isn't in your list: noise level That's what really needs solving for mass drones to take off.

lathiat 3y ago
They actually solved that. Watch Mark Robers video at 13m50s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOWDNBu9DkU&t=830s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOWDNBu9DkU&t=830s However this FAA approval is apparently for the Gen1 fixed wing plane (which is quieter than a drone anyway). Their Gen2 "drone" design is barely audible.
- bakies 3y ago
  the same quiet propellers are on both drones

amelius 3y ago

And what's the computer platform they use on board?