Andreas Raptopoulos: No roads? There's a drone for that
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- čas přidán 20. 11. 2013
- A billion people in the world lack access to all-season roads. Could the structure of the internet provide a model for how to reach them? Andreas Raptopoulos of Matternet thinks so. He introduces a new type of transportation system that uses electric autonomous flying machines to deliver medicine, food, goods and supplies wherever they are needed.
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I was thinking of this for disaster areas like in the Philipines... drones should fly around taking small amounts of food and water while search parties are working.
Frankly, I'd use this to automate the postal service. Postal workers would maintain the system and deliver large parcels until the system were capable of delivering those as well. We'd gain a massive amount of efficiency an the mail would never be late again. Also, we'd need considerably fewer staff to run the entire department.
And the people that will be relieved, with what money will they feed their children? If someone invents something that will let you out of work what will it happen to you? That if you are old enough to work but seeing how easy you talk about efficiency, proves you either are too young or too naive to understand how money works.
gorkonyan While I agree with some of your statements, drones will end up being a thing of the future. In fact, the reality is kind of already here. Legislation is just trying to hold it back. Things like pizzas and packages could very well be delivered by drones. Drones don't need to wait in traffic so you could shave off a lot of your delivery times. Will it lay of certain workers? Of course. What advancement in efficiency hasn't laid off workers? The thing is that while people are laid off, it also opens the market to new fields. Someone is going to need to fly the drones for one. What about production or maintenance? My point is that we need to consider the picture as a whole. If we stopped advancement simply because people lost their jobs, we'd still be banging rocks together. The great thing about humanity is that we are able to adapt. The person who lost their postal delivery job may very well be rehired to deliver postage via drone the next week.
Hahaha it's funny you mention shooting them down. Supposedly Texas is working on or has passed a drone hunting season.
gorkonyan
Clearly we should be paying people to dig holes and other people to fill the holes in. Or else what will those people do to feed their children?
Justplanecrazy25
Lol, saves the animals i guess...
To all the people thinking it would be that easy to shot down the drone or take it other wise:
I encourage you do fly a drone for yourself, take it to its maximum altitude of the signal range (which the ones in the video dont have, more a physical flight hight limit) and try to follow it with your eyes. You dont need extreme hights to be save from gunshots. And if the landing station is a big enough area. you can fly them pinpoint over them, still having the save altitude and then just decelerate. Even if you shot it, it will land in the "save" landing zone. It´ll be no more than vandalism.
I would be more concerned about technical malfunkction. But that all vehicle suffer from the same.
There are also airships being developed to fly using little energy, carry lots of cargo, and can land/take off vertically without a runway or even landing pad. Can be used similarly on a larger scale where there are no reliable roads.
Just what earth needs, more people.
1. How to keep those stations safe?
2. How to prevent people shooting those drones down and selling them
3. Many developing countries don't have big electric grid so you would have to build a new one just to get some power to stations (Solar panels can be solution but they are very likely to get stolen and you would need big battery bringing the cost even higher)
4. Developing countries are very poor so how can they pay the price of delivering, at the start it is very expensive
5. Swapping battery will be very challenging and what about if there comes next drone when the battery is not full
6. cost was not realistic (way too low) expect drone
7. Why haven't we heard about this? Probably because this never made it and those are one of the reasons
Lol but it did make it, YOU just havent seen it… being implemented nation wide in uae
I think it's hard to keep the individual landing zones secure and safe. A very nice concept, but perhaps has some drawbacks. I think it could be scaled up above 2kg and be more secure and effective.
They need to switch to drones that can transform to "winged" mode. and this cover much greater distances. That would make all the difference.
Outstanding presentation and solution.
This is a pretty cool idea! I hope it works out.
Such a great idea. I hope this become a reality.
I fly drones and wish this would work but there are many things not mentioned when he says the cost of a flight is a few cents. Batteries are expensive and have limited life, bearings go bad, propellers break, birds of pray have attacked mine in NYC where there isnt much wild life, curious people will be hurt by moving propellers and people will steal a $3000 multirotor.
I asume they will be working of rechargable battery packs.
That was a fantastic talk btw, but he didnt really mention any drawbacks to this idea, for example a very big problem could be piracy, counterfeit, stealing etc.
I think the point is to deliver goods to institutions. It would be as safe as(if not safer than) a postman. These drones have GPS so any misdelivery would be registered. And 400feet up they'd be pretty hard to reach for any tampering.
The message is good and everything, but they really need to adjust his mic. I can hear every single smack of saliva in his mouth.
I kinda like it
I knew I wouldn’t be the only one
So long bike messengers! You had a good run but, this is faster, cheaper and safer.
Wow this is totally awesome I think it's a brilliant idea !
It's an interesting concept. The most important part will be creating an open, yet secure 'air traffic controller' rather than a completely closed one. At this stage, a single organisation could quite easily create a closed system and dominate the airways with no competition.
Awesome idea.. My Respect !!
Brilliant idea!
This is an interesting idea, a transport network based on automated drones and fixed peer-to-peer base stations. The only problems are security and prevention of theft, which essentially renders these drones useful for only highly specific goods of less generic value, such as medicines.
So you think it is easier to catch a drone in the air than a postman?
frankist Do you think it easier to steal your wallet while its in your pocked than from a drone flying over deserted terrain?
And so it begins, sky traffic in cities.
One of the biggest challenges in highly congested cities is moving patients to hospitals using ambulance. Is it possible to have a combination of drones and hot balloons, so that we can move the patients using gps locations? Whether already such ideas exist?
Interesting talk. The only thing that bugs me is the constant sound of saliva sloshing around in the speakers mouth... Urh...
This is an awesome idea. Delivering medicine and samples is obviously the best use for this right now, but just imagine having small things you buy online delivered to you within hours by a network of these things! :)
I do see some problems though: The drone it self is worth $3K, add the value of what the drone is transporting, and then the fact that people don't trust drones in the first place. These things WILL get hijacked, either by hacking or simply by people shooting them down for the goods they carry/for fun (by assholes)/because "drones are evil"
If you could get a security system for them that actually works though (apart from mounting guns on them), I'm all for this!
Good thinking
About damn time.
*pats his decker gear*
We can use this technology to transport patient samples between campuses at the Medical Center in Houston, TX. 1:58 forward...
Most technological advancements are usually intended for great reasons, but sadly get implemented for evil means first. I fear people will misunderstand what these advancements mean, thus causing these to only be delayed pointlessly.
I honestly wonder how many people will die who could have been saved because 'others' fear what they don't know and misconceive.
The pattern of technological advancements happening with military devices occurs in the USA, it does not happen in Japan. This is also why Japan has advanced technologically more quickly than the USA. New technologies tend to start out with major limitation or are very expensive. New technologies are first adopted by extreme users, people who have a need or desire that they don't mind paying "too much" for the new technology.
US military can spend extreme amounts of money and don't care about comfort or certain levels of danger. Japan looks at the problem differently. They put new technology into toys. The problems with new technologies don't matter as much in toys so they can start selling the new technology long before it is ready for other uses. This approach makes new technology affordable much more quickly and with lower investment than the military approach.
MarkProffitt That is an approach I never thought of, granted I believe it may have drastically fewer applications than we may want it to. Though you are right, implement the new technology in toys or smaller devices to gather the niche profit in an environment that is not does not need it to be perfected.
Interesting approach.
Good concept for unreachable areas. Would become a bit noisy though in a megacity with all the drones flying past your window.
Dramatic improvements in battery technology are needed to make these things useful beyond a mile or two.
Energy density is always the problem...
This is great.
There is a German effort for a small multi rotor helicopter like human transport. I wonder if these efforts could be combined?
Years ago someone thought about using UAV's to deliver pizzas. However, currently they are not legal for most commercial uses in US. Apparently, that is about to change.
@Christine Hansen, we were also not "designed" to use a keyboard and a mouse to have this conversation. Or to build an international space station, to carefully place it in our planet's orbit and to have people live in it for months at a time. Also I'm pretty sure we weren't "designed" to be able to cycle while having our groin sustain all our body weight. I hope you see where I'm getting at (honestly I just drank a lot and can't find my words to concoct the conclusion so I really hope you get it without me wording it :D).
Apparently you disabled replies to your post...
Soon as people get over their fears, these things will make one hell of a difference in the world. But for now we must wait patiently because I'm pretty sure making a point on the internet about how unrealistic is it to fear drones will not make any difference.
Just implement this everywhere for next hour delivery
We're talking to you Amazon
Roads? Where we're going, we need drones.
I would totaly steal one of those drones!!
Is it possible that huge, ultra stable quad copters could be used as a form of mass transportation?
Imagine a drone that can deliver hot food to your door. Imagine a drone that can deliver vital supplies to a village.
My body, is ready.
Interesting. This is the better side of the coin, for drone technology.
I keep getting distracted by the fact that the microphone picks up every little smack of saliva in his mouth.
+Bas van de Kleut lol too funny
+Bas van de Kleut Same
There is only one drone in the sky in my city and it is mine. I see this changing very soon.
This would be extremely useful, especially if you could have the battery-changing places solar powered.
exciting!
This is a really good idea. Hope that some investors are willing to go ahead with this.
Great idea... I see an app for that.
I want my Chinese food delivered like this.
Yes! The future looks bright! :D
I am quite pro technology.
But it sounds a bit as if investing in roads is not worth the effort ( 6:06 ).
Roads tend to have other uses than sending packages of 2 kg.
4:50 "wen you life depending on this packet... sum ware in Afrika ... or NYc after Sunday" xD
Perfect. "what do you mean continent covering surveillance system? It's just for delivering medication". Flying over private residences, at low altitudes, with cameras.
Justin:
good drone!!!
Love it
So um, when can we have people sized versions?
My react: 3:49 eyebrow-raising! It's amazing idea.
I'd like to see larger, more robust, longer range vehicles so as to reduce the need for stations at all potential sites. You could massively reduce the infrastructure costs. The number of needed stations would decrease as a square of any increase in the range of the vehicle (assuming uniform distribution of target sites) so money invested in better range for the vehicles would pay back in spades.
This is what I am talking about
Hmm. Extrapolating those costs, that is ~$19 for a ~500 mile trip. So that really tells you what it will be used for (which are what he mentioned...) emergency stuff, and stuff where there really are no other modes of transport.
I doubt it would scale so neatly. Assuming these UAVs are electric, there are technological restraints on their range. Battery technology needs to improve dramatically for this to be used on a large scale.
Either that or they need to use glider style drones rather than quad-copters, which use a lot of power to maintain lift. That means the landing stations would need to be a little more complicated, but it would be worth it for the extended range.
John Kanu True. It probably could be made cheaper with something SIMILAR FlexRotor or Insitu does for limited area for takeoff and land. FlexRotor is doing a VTOL, then forward flight where-as Insitu is doing a catapult launch, then 'crane capture' system. (Both systems designed by the same guy). Both of these systems are way more expensive than the quadrotor system presented as well as much larger.
wow. !! it was 2013 .11. great ..
but still ...
Cool technologies that were once reserved for science fiction are invading our reality!
This one is already a reality, it just needs proper funding & further examination.
Love it !!
here comes the next bubble, the drone bubble. Oh, I just forgot they are not out of hydrogen. I guess that would be the version 2.0.
lol.
we should do this.
24 cents for 2 kgs for 10km is an extortionate price when the income of people there is less than a dollar per day
Multirotors are too inefficient for long distances though, you want fixed-wing UAVs. There are some fixed wing UAVs that can take off vertically just like a multirotor, that's the way to go.
The $3000 price tag is a bit rediculous, i'd think it could be built for less than $500.
Give that man some water please.
WOW COOL
The technology exist, the spirit to achieve it also exist, and the humanitarian input potential to help others to develop by themselves is uncanny. So, the only thing to make it real is the capital to found raise it, *Where can I help with that, TED?*
Ahhhhhh! Attack of the drones!
Drones are too susceptible against sudden bad weather.
What's with all the idiocy in the comments? Did you not listen at all? This could be a relatively cheap and reliable way of helping people in need. That is a great thing! The fact that there might be hurdles in the way is not a reason to abandon the idea, and i'm sure the people working on this are fully aware of any potential problems.
If you're skeptical or didn't understand something it is really cool to voice your concern. Wanting to learn or trying to offer solutions is great. Just acting like an idiot is not helpful, though.
People have straw man issues with this.
suck it luddites, this is the sort of the thing we need for the future... there are solutions, we will make them.
this is genius! also, i feel like this guy learned english from a computer's text to speech feature... cause thats what he sounds like.
I turned it off at leapfrog. Good phrase though.
Now, post can be delivered by delivery drones!!!!
Take that Apple!
There will be issues like drones dropping out of skies, bird strikes etc. why not bring back pneumatic tubes?
this issue of hitting birds and other objects can be easily solved with the addition of infrared sensors on the drones and a flight pathing system which can plot a path to avoid. i dont know why people cant seem to understand that there flight paths would not be fixed. also why would they fall out of the sky? pneumatic tubes are more expensive and less efficient and are confined to a fixed path.
Hey that's is my idea, thanks for getting it off the ground...[off the gound] he he.
I did the math, by pound per mile of cargo capacity, it's still cheaper to use real helicopters. And those are available today. Yet another great marketing ploy that sounds great but really costs more and is less effective. The wow factor is all he's got.
The difference with a helicopter is that it is only more efficient when delivering a large amount of goods. So if there is a small amount needed in a certain location then these drones will be cheaper. They are basically just small helicopters anyway; I don't see much of a distinction.
With an helicopter you still need the pilot... And that would be a lot more expensive.
ASMR?
Smacking noises make me uncomfortable. Nice concept, though. Would love to see this become reality.
Proper road infrastructure has still way more benefits than a network of drones. Medicine alone does not beat proper assessment at a specialist doctor’s consultation especially when dealing with emergencies. The drone network is also not cheap, so might as well invest into roads. Cool idea though, but not practical.
Could there be bigger drones which could transport me (100 kg) for 10 km at cost of (24*50)= 12$ ?
You have my curiosity. But then you would have my attention.
what about drone pirates, a three thousand dollar drone would tempting for people to steal.
This would totally kill the U.S. postal service...or...maybe save it? interesting to think about.
Think FedEx :) Consider it your Next Mail man! lol
What will stop people stealing?
Don't let the cartel know ....
WHO WILL BUILD THE DRONES?!?!?!
Very good idea to get people connected but i am skeptical about the costs of this infrastructure. While it's not near the cost of building streets and buy trucks for the deliveries it doesn't mean it comes cheap. And charity as it's own cartel of making money. Clearly this is a pie waiting to be eaten but who wants to eat anything that is served in front of him? If you manage to succeed a range of 20km then the equipment costs will cut to at least 30%. It's good to hear that 10km will cost 24cents but that is if maintenance is not required at any time and everything works like charm which they never do. In fact if you use solar powered stations to charge the batteries it will be even less at some point. It's been estimated that there is a military drone crash every 100 000 hours of flight and that's in the military where the technology is far superior than civil technology which is the one your team is using. I could go on and find a million NO's on this project but can i really suggest something that can achieve better results in saving human lives in a rate that little portion of people has achieved in this field? If you have one then start talking and feel free to reject this. If not then embrace the one that Mr. Raptopoulos just suggested.
drones should be working right now, whats the delay?
Stupid people causing ethic debates.
Wow
[Mouth Noises Intensify]
"you wouldn't download a car?"
Still the cost is too much. In poor countryes those will be broken/stolen in matter of minutes.
How? In the air model planes can reach speeds of up to 400 mph and helicopters at over 100 mph. At that speed unless you are actively hunting these things it would be gone before you could pick up a stone to throw at it!
Even when you are able to have enough time to take a shot it would take a fantastic marksman a one in a million shot to take it down.
On the ground, the stations can be protected the same way all property is protected: security gates and fences.
Good point. Well meaby when it's landing or taking off.... or something
yeah but how long will a battery take to switch? probably 5 seconds or less and even then it sounds like these stations can be put anywhere so most of them will be in more remote areas so to get to them would take a while.
I'm sure there are other logistical and security problems to be taken care of but by simply planning well they can be overcome because a system like this would be awesome!
I'm sorry but all I could think about during his whole speel was "what's to stop armed gangs in Africa from taking over the drop stations and ransoming the supplies to their intended recipient? Or selling them to the highest bidder?"
Now I want my noodles to fly to me! I WANT MY FLYING NOODLES CARN SARN IT!
Just want to come back and say Amazon Prime Air.
Sorry mr. Raptopoulos? Where is the λέσχη?
Nice Idea. Have you thought about drug smuggling or illegal merchandising transportation? There is a lot of corruption and I am saying this because in developing countries a drug lord may say: " I will pay the million dollars to support the hospitals" (but you can carry my weapons and drugs at the same time). Just thinking.
Honestly while that would be sad it would still be an improvement compared to how it is now. Having cheap and accessible health care is essential in those countries.
Wow, big deal. You change some business models, and make addiction a health problem.
It's not that technical to deal with the repercussions of this technology, in the third world.
They don't have the same trade agreements, ideological impediments.
One fly, moving around my ear is already annoying, having hundreds of these flying around, uff I prefer they focus on silencing them first before going to such scale.
They'll be flying at Heights where you can't even hear them from.