When your net worth approaches the $40 billion mark and you buy The Washington Post, you are taken seriously. Whether, and yes we’re talking about Jeff Bezos, the FAA will ever allow private drone use becomes another animal. Ultimately, however, it will be Jeff Bezos that has a chance of making personal/commercial drone use a reality more than some stoner in San Francisco who promises burrito delivery.
UPS / Amazon getting in on the inevitable early
Or Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s owner and United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS). With a quick look into the near future, it’s difficult to envision a world where commercial drones aren’t a reality. Yes, I’ve been watching Fox’s Almost Human recently, the show that shows Androids as more than a smartphone operating system.
Presently, the FAA prohibits commercial drone use, but for how long? How long before the NSA and other more sinister organizations outsource domestic drone use?
It can’t be a blanket ban on domestic drone use. Citizens of the United States will struggle with domestic surveillance, especially if they are simply growing dope. But it’s the future.
So Bezos isn’t speaking out his ass. Neither is UPS who showed the world their drones earlier today.
Ultimately, I can’t be the only person who fears five pound package carrying drones flying over my car less than teenage drivers.
Hence United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s announcement today.
The Verge reports, sources familiar with the company’s plans say it has been testing and evaluating different approaches to drone delivery. Asked for a comment, a company spokesman said that, “The commercial use of drones is an interesting technology and we’ll continue to evaluate it. UPS invests more in technology than any other company in the delivery business, and we’re always planning for the future.”
FAA signoff will happen, sooner or later
This doesn’t shock academia. Nor those who expect a future FAA leniency NOT given to burrito delivery. In fact, with notions and suggestions of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) buying the United States Postal Service, the FAA signing-off isn’t a big stretch.
“I would be shocked if a company like UPS wasn’t considering this,” says Ryan Calo, a law professor specializing in drones and robotics. “If you want to compete in logistics and delivery, drones and unmanned robots have to be part of the conversation about where things are headed.”
Forget your burrito. However, don’t be surprised if a drone bows its head before 2020 and asks you to sign its forehead in order to drop its payload at your doorstep.
