Coyote Blog

13 Comments

1. caseyboy:

   Is there a minimum order quantity?

   April 3, 2012, 2:10 pm

2. Jason:

   These helicopters seem to be the real deal. Saw this the other day...

   http://www.ted.com/talks/vijay_kumar_robots_that_fly_and_cooperate.html

   The cool part is how they coordinate their movements. It's very Hayekian. There's too much data at any given moment to have a central computer giving commands to the individual helicopters, so instead each copter has to use the information available to it to make a decision on what path to take.

   April 3, 2012, 3:18 pm

3. NL_:

   It's real, but my understanding is the FAA won't let it go through. Robot helicopters whirring around city streets set off a few red flags. I think they say they started it partly as a discussion platform.

   April 3, 2012, 3:49 pm

4. Mark2:

   Apparently the FAA won't allow private companies/individuals to fly drones in profit making enterprises. Which is weird. I would think photography drones have been used for many years.

   But to the business model. Getting tacos at home is easily accomplished by delivery vehicle. This 'Copter uniqueness is due to the fact it reads your lat long off of your cell phone and will deliver to where-ever you are. Hanging in a Warren campground and have a hankering call the Taco 'Copter.

   I think though that there has to be rather expensive to do. I think I might do it once as a lark, and then since I don't have the mega bucks, never order that way again. If enough people feel that way, it won't take off.

   April 3, 2012, 3:57 pm

5. Mark2:

   Something else, you have to be relatively stationary. If you are hiking or strolling the beach, the copter won't find you.

   April 3, 2012, 4:00 pm

6. Don:

   Sounds like an idea from BMOC 2.0 ;^).

   Regarding FAA:

   "Recreational use of the NAS is covered by FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 91-57 which generally limits operations to below 400 feet above ground level and away from airports and air traffic."

   from "http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsid=6287"

   Basically, they have to avoid FAA listed airports, and they have stay below 400 ft, then they are essentially treated as toys. Sounds doable.

   April 3, 2012, 5:22 pm

7. Chris:

   More of a proof of concept than a hoax/joke:
   http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/03/qa-with-tacocopter/

   April 3, 2012, 6:24 pm

8. happyjuggler0:

   If they tried it in Boston then I'm sure they'd call in the bomb squad.

   April 3, 2012, 6:49 pm

9. Tim Worstall:

   I've been watching this story do the rounds and I'm amazed that no one has made the obvious point.

   Tacos are a relatively low value item. You want these little darlings to be delivering high value items. Like, umm, a few ounces of this or that across the Mexican border?

   April 4, 2012, 1:23 am

10. Mark2:

    @Tim, I am sure they would charge a bit more for the tacos - good tacos are as pricy as burgers - you're thinking Taco Bell.

    What I wonder about is the weight. If you are going to get a taco, you probably want a 20oz soda, and and then - well your date will want the same thing. Plus napkins and bag - and your payload is fairly heavy.

    I also wonder how you deliver the things without getting the food cold, and how you can design a door that people won't break while trying to retrieve food. And of course there is the drone theft issue.

    April 4, 2012, 7:16 am

11. Craig:

    Taco Bell would likely retaliate with jamming or tiny rockets.

    April 4, 2012, 10:01 am

12. Maddog:

    I was a bit peckish so . . .

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU0KYo8_9Zs&feature=player_embedded

    But really, having to go and get it or wait for the crash happy delivery driver gives me the willies, so . . .

    http://tacocopter.com/

    With IPhone which will call you one minute from destination and then home in on your exact cell phone gps coordinates. So, we need a smart phone app for the first as well since we can now deliver about anywhere.

    OMG, I forgot beer! Never mind:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g56wwlp4p7s&feature=related

    Whew!

    Don't worry the guvmint is working hard to make the copter part of the deal a non-starter. And the Nanny State will soon decide we cannot be eating pizza, but will allow the copter delivery of bland unsalted tofu rice bowl with steamed veggies, of course!

    Maddog007

    April 4, 2012, 10:51 am

13. IGotBupkis, Legally Defined Cyberbully in All 57 States:

    >>> If you are hiking or strolling the beach, the copter won’t find you.

    No reason it couldn't if there was a delivery app. It could query your phone for your current location when it gets to the vicinity of where the order was placed.

    April 4, 2012, 2:01 pm