Why You Can't Have A Tacocopter Drone Deliver You A Taco For Lunch Today
from the the-government....-and-a-bunch-of-other-factors dept
We've talked a bit about some more intriguing uses of drone technology lately, including personal individual surveillance as well as for building floating ad hoc networks. But I don't think I've ever seen as much attention given to the potential disruptive nature of drone technology as the story that's been bouncing around the internet the past few days concerning the miraculous concept of the TacoCopter.Yes, the TacoCopter, one of those ideas that once you hear about it, it sticks with you. It's pretty straightforward. You order (and pay for) a taco via a smartphone app, indicating your location, and a short while later, a drone hums into view and drops a taco at your feet. The folks behind it are targeting San Francisco first (of course), with an expansion plan that includes
"Current U.S. FAA regulations prevent ... using UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, like drones] for commercial purposes at the moment," Simpson said over Gchat. "Honestly I think it's not totally unreasonable to regulate something as potentially dangerous as having flying robots slinging tacos over people's heads ... [O]n the other hand, it's a little bit ironic that that's the case in a country where you can be killed by drone with no judicial review."Of course, that's not the only problem. There's also... well, everything else. Which turns out to be a pretty long list.
Simpson told HuffPost that because of the FAA's regulations -- as well as other minor problems, like navigating the treacherous terrain of an urban environment, keeping the food warm, finding a city map precise enough to avoid crashes 100 percent of the time, avoiding birds, balconies and telephone wires, delivering food to people indoors, delivering food to the right person, dealing with greedy humans who would just steal the Tacocopter as soon as it got to them, etc.Not surprisingly, the team behind it isn't actively working on the project right now, though they still seem to insist they're serious about doing it for real at some point in the future.
That said, it's not hard to realize that most of these problems can and will be solved at some point in the future, and such a commercial use of drones could actually create quite disruptive business models in a lot of sectors. Obviously, just delivering tacos isn't that big of a deal, but once you begin to realize that these things can deliver almost anything (within reasonable weight limits) then it starts to open up a huge world of interesting possibilities. For that reason, it wouldn't surprise me to see that the regulations that now limit such uses of drone technology will almost certainly remain in effect much longer than the technological limitations remain a hurdle. Those who are disrupted by such uses will continue to insist that such things are dangerous, rather than learning to adapt and embrace the technology.
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Filed Under: drones, regulations, tacocopter
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On the other hand...
For added fun, consider what ultimately be more deadly, a semi-accurate attack of explosives or an almost-assuredly as explosive post-Taco Bell bathroom experience?
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But it must deliver to me pizzas!
For pizzas are superior to tacos!
3 guesses where that last line is from.
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Kneeds...
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Re: Kneeds...
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Re: Kneeds...
While we're thinking on the subject:
It's entirely conceivable such systems could completely revolutionize the package delivery industry in general.
Imagine the UPS truck drives by--only slowing slightly--while a handful of drones launch with the appropriate packages to be dropped off before they rejoin the same truck.
Or slightly larger drones could handle much of the daily/weekly deliveries which many businesses require--fresh donuts, restaurant ingredients, etc.
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Re: Kneeds...
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I'm sure there are drug dealers who operate in this manner, they order a pizza when jim bob is working late and 50% chance he delivers the pizza, even better if it's right before close and he gets requested (I used to be a Papa John's manager). Nothing at all suspicious about getting delivered pizzas and the driver doing a quick drug for money exchange while there.
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The end is near
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It costs a bit under $1,000 per pound to lift into space. While this won't lift stuff in space, the same problem applies, the heavier the taco-copter the more fuel it consumes.
Sure it may cost pennies per pound to lift for this short trip at a low height (I don't know the exact cost, or the weight of the taco-copter), but the taco-copter is going to be like 99% of your weight you're lifting, which is going raise the fuel costs a lot for just delivering a few tacos.
In order for such a thing to be practical you'd need an infinite and nearly free source of energy, like wind, or solar, to power the taco-copter. And right now solar panels still cost more money to build and install then they save you long term on electric bills (though with tax subsidies they do pay for themselves), and I think wind may have similar issues at the moment.
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Re:
Think for just a moment about how often you're somewhere outside and plan on being in that one spot long enough to have something airmailed to you, and how often the predominant thought in your head is, "Holy shit, I need a goddamn heaven-delivered taco right fucking now".
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More often then you want to know.
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I'll bet my left nut that the second after the first TacoCopter delivers its first taco, Intellectual Ventures lawyers will be all over this like a rash.
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Mar 27th, 2012 @ 11:12am
I find your. Rambling "Greenie" thoughts as unproductive as the delapidated wind turbines of that movement.
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Re: Cost of fuel
The Taco delivery drone would be told to make a fueling stop at the customer's uhh... "rear entrance" where it would issue a credit for the fuel to be applied against future orders.
There would also be an incentive for the more flatulently gifted to collect their emissions and get highly discounted tacos.
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Cure cancer? Pfft.
Cure Diabetes? Meh
Yo quiero Taco Bell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8sZ1DWsAHE
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Re:
I know -- but could not resist
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"dealing with greedy humans who would just steal the Tacocopter as soon as it got to them, etc."
Sorry, I think that last one, which is by far would be the most disruptive part of the delivery chain, will ever be resolved any time in our lives.
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Re:
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Stand Your Ground
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Re: Stand Your Ground
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Re: Re: Stand Your Ground
No, just because Florida is famous for being the retirement destination of choice doesn't mean laws allowing violent enforcement of "Get off my lawn" reinforces any stereotypes.
What are you, ageist?
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Re: Re: Stand Your Ground
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Re:
Do you think it would be that hard to find and catch the person who shot it down? Even if he was wearing a Hoodie.
Imagine a "flashmob" of 5000 people all ordering products by copter at one location at one time, all to watch the biggest mid air crash of all time !!!
"Delivery Drone massacre"
Lets do it at JFK !!!
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For a fast food delivery service, it may be worth the cost.
I want a tacopter.
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Finally a tech Hollywood can embraces
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Re: Finally a tech Hollywood can embraces
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Think of the children!
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Lemonade
So why not tweak the business model a bit and offer a murder-for-hire drone service?
This just means I'm going to revive my taco delivery idea, Tacobruchet™
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Re: Lemonade
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Oh god. Did you actually think the whole idea through Mike? Imagine every taco stand (and for that matter every other store in the universe) with a fleet of drones hovering over our heads all the time to deliver stuff to us. Are you kidding me? There are so many issues here that it is beyond understanding. It's not likely to get resolved, because whatever minor issues need resolving to make it functional pale when compared to the practical.
Your vision of the future must be clouded by whatever Marcus has been doing back there.
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Re:
Why is it unfeasible? Have you been ignoring all technological advances... Oh. Of course you have. I forgot. You're one of our regular semi-Luddite trolls. You dislike any and all technologies that could actually change things.
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And with a few modifications...
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um I think you misunderstood.
Some how I think getting lobsters to deliver tacos is more impressive than copter-delivered-tacos. Unfortunately it is actually "LobsterCopter"and not "TacoLobster"
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Re: um I think you misunderstood.
Dah! Taco on the brain. Fixed.
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Re: Re: um I think you misunderstood.
I allways wonder what it was, thanks that explains much!
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Re: Re: um I think you misunderstood.
You should watch your choice of words, otherwise the trolls will trollbate all over your website, making it messier to read.
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they have allready been solved IN THE PAST, all you 'problems' you have indicated have been solved for UAV's years and years ago..
Im sure you ment to say "copied" the solutions that allready exist.
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Bring on the Tacocopter
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CinnabonCopters Are HOLY SHit
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That would be the drones working for the Department of Homeland Security.
Oh, he meant robots. My bad.
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OK, so it is illegal outside...
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We have a real Tacocopter in UberTaco
http://vimeo.com/39653909
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Don't worry
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Fantastic!
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Class G Airspace
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mini - cop - delivery services
Another concept would be the city providing command and control while individuals provide equipment and logistics. This way there would be very little chance of collision or lost orders.
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Techdirt has just written about the amazing achievements of Sci-Hub, and how it now offers the vast majority of academic papers free online.
https://tellthebell.tips/
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