Amazon patents a parachute shipping label for drone deliveries
Amazon has received a patent for a shipping label that includes a built-in parachute, “to enable the delivery of packages by [unpiloted] aerial vehicles (UAVs) or other aerial vehicles.” The patent, as reported by GeekWire, was filed in August 2015 and granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Monday.
It is unclear whether the system will ever be put into use, though the patent may provide new insight into Amazon’s Prime Air drone delivery project. The system calls for a packaging label that would be integrated with a folded parachute and a network of cords. It could also incorporate a breakaway cover, shock absorbers, and a network of sensors built into a drone to track the package’s descent. The system could be adapted…
