It's probably been patented already.

Ugh. You say this as a joke, but I vote we come up with a list of features that could be cited as prior art and stick a hash of 'em into the BTC block chain.

I wasn't joking. This is how software patent creation works. Before something can be made in practice, make all the algorithms you might need to implement it.

Yeah, no matter how obvious something is, someone will probably be able to find a trivial variation of it to patent. I mean, if you have a Taco Copter, clearly a Burrito Copter is nonobvious. I wonder just how trivial they'd allow something like this. I mean it's obvious enough that you can adapt existing telemetry systems and collision avoidance algorithms to this activity, but I doubt the lawyers think it obvious.

If you think it's so obvious to implement the algorithm in discussion here, feel free to publish it openly and preempt future patent claims.

Oh, that's the thing. In a patent, you only have to describe the general idea. It's not like you put source code or anything useful.

But that's the problem: no matter how many variations of the obvious you list, they'll find something to patent.

I believe Intellectual Ventures has patented that business model. You'll be hearing from their drone soon.

Definitely. Time to start writing it now in time for the hardware to catch up!

I imagine much of the time the best optimization would end up being a single drone.

Yeah, with the van housing a system to swap battery packs between deliveries in densely populated areas.

Only in major urban areas where you see a UPS/Fedex truck literally go a block before stopping again would you likely see multiple drones.

But the bigger picture here is to expand what you order from Amazon. The eventual goal would be more along the lines of small singleton items you'd run to a convenience/drug/grocery store for.

Even after you account for a minimum price to make it worthwhile, that's many, many more deliveries than UPS/FedEx does.