back to article Think drone delivery is hot air? A BREWERY just proved you wrong

When Amazon.com last year floated the idea it might one day deliver goods by drone, plenty of folks thought the launch was really just hot air. But Minnesota brewery Lakemaid has just proved that Jeff Bezos is indeed a visionary of the highest order by proving the idea with the aerial despatch of twelve bottles of its Frosty …

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  1. Ole Juul

    The fishing theme is a nice touch

    Something else is also fishy. I see perspective problems in the video.

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: The fishing theme is a nice touch

      If you look hard enough, you'll see CG and photoshopping out of your window.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Given the current power-to-weight ratios of electrically-powered 'copters, and despite the bottle clinking effects, I am pretty sure that the box was empty.

    1. Eddy Ito

      They admitted to lightening the load and according to the drone specs it has a T/O weight between 1.2 and 2.4 kg which is a bit short of the 8+kg for a typical 12 pack but it may have gotten up with 3 bottles or so.

      1. Eddy Ito
        Facepalm

        Narfed the F550 drone specs link. Try again: http://www.dji.com/product/flame-wheel-arf/spec

  3. Captain DaFt

    AI is advancing!

    I was impressed by how the drone was apparently able to read hand written coordinates.

    Not to mention recognize the proper recipient visually, despite never having seen her.

    Amazing what they can do with modern advertising these days.

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: AI is advancing!

      Did you watch a different video? Because nowhere did either of those things happen in this one.

      Also, reading handwritten coordinates is a trivial problem anyway.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: AI is advancing!

        > Did you watch a different video? Because nowhere did either of those things happen in this one.

        I wonder if they happened here though?

        1. JDX Gold badge

          Re: AI is advancing!

          You're confused. The word here starts with 's' but ends with "tupidity". Just making up lies isn't sarcasm.

      2. Captain DaFt

        Re: AI is advancing!

        Well, I saw;

        A. Guy writing down GPS coords on a paper pad.

        Hell, You never even see him verify a method of payment for the beer!

        B. Then guy sets down box of beer outside, attaches drone.

        You never see him program the drone... did it get a glimpse of the pad as it was carried out, or was he using a new-fangled bluetooth pencil when he wrote it down?

        C. Drone flies to a group of ice-fishing huts, sets down,then pauses a second until someone approaches, takes off leaving beer. No verification of any sort.

        How did the droid verify that the proper recipient received the beer? Or was it actually just leaving it there for anyone to come along and take?

        So, Advertising land fantasy, or a method of dropping off free beer for whoever's in the vicinity?

        1. CmdrX3

          Re: AI is advancing!

          "or a method of dropping off free beer for whoever's in the vicinity?"

          I'm starting to like this drone idea. I'm going to suggest to every one of my neighbours they start to order their alcohol in this fashion the minute it's available.... me no...I don't drink...err... yeah that's it... I don't drink.

          .................... what do mean your deliveries keep going missing?

  4. SpeakerToAliens
    Coat

    Nice advert. However, ...

    ... that box is definitely empty. Why? 1) Watch when it first takes off and moves forward. The box has very low inertia. 2) Look how far the thing tilts when going at speed. If the box wasn't empty there's no way air resistance at that speed would tilt it that far.

    Of course, it could be a very "light" beer they're shipping...

    1. Ole Juul

      Re: Nice advert. However, ...

      "Of course, it could be a very "light" beer they're shipping..."

      America is known for its light beers. Olympia Beer has the slogan of "It's the Water". One sip and you'll agree. You have to admire truth in advertising.

      1. Charles Manning

        Nope

        Flying is thirst work.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Pint

        Re: Nice advert. However, ...

        There are now some very good American beers and their hoppy influence has crashed its way into the UK market.

        However, there remains some truth in the old cliche that American beer is like sex in a canoe. F*cking close to water!

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Nice advert. However, ...

          "There are now some very good American beers"

          Nope. There are now some slightly less crap American beers.

          "and their hoppy influence has crashed its way into the UK market."

          Crashed yes. Influence, no.

        2. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

          Re: Nice advert. However, ...

          There are now some very good American beers and their hoppy influence has crashed its way into the UK market.

          The UK is quite capable of producing its own proper beer thank you very much, there's no need for ridiculously over-hopped and over-strength 'craft beers' to try to join the fray, if I want something so hoppy it'll make my mouth dry up while drinking it, I'll stick to a proper real IPA*, and if Iw ant something over-strength, I'll have a nice pint of imperial stout.

          *Original recipe IPAs contain a very high hop content as a preservative, as they would be produced in the UK and shipped to India, in which time they would mellow. If you tried to drink them 'fresh', you'd find them very unpalatable. Most things sold today as IPA are nothing of the sort.

          1. JDX Gold badge

            Re: Nice advert. However, ...

            You know, people are allowed their own opinions on what makes beer nice. There isn't an absolute truth here, you snob.

    2. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge

      Re: Nice advert. However, ...

      Light beer indeed, maybe with Helium as replacement for CO2

  5. Steven Jones

    Light beer

    "Think drone delivery is hot air? A BREWERY just proved you wrong"

    Oh yes, of course it did...

  6. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Pint

    The future is here...

    Or not.

    But you know, beer.....

  7. Allan George Dyer
    Terminator

    Next Terminator sequel...

    Skynet upgrades with ethanol fuel cells and deploys drones to break in to off-licenses, vandalise downtown and drop empty beer bottles on cowering meatbags.

  8. Lamont Cranston
    Pint

    Winter lager?

    I don't think I want to know what that is.

    Can we have a proper beer icon, please?

  9. Steve the Cynic

    Behind the times...

    http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/dominos-tests-delivery-pizza-remote-controlled-drone-150259

    Title: Domino's Tests Delivery of Pizza by Remote-Controlled Drone: The DomiCopter takes flight

    Date: June 12, 2013

    Right, then, I'm off.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    That wouldn't work here

    Bloody beer would be as warm as dingos piss in no time.

    If it was American beer, it would taste like dingos piss as well.

  11. Miek
    Coat

    Those drones don't have the greatest lift capabilities, anyone for a light beer?

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A brewery "just" proved you wrong? Video dates from Jan-24th, to which the FAA suddenly pounced in their typical "kill flies with cannons" style:

    http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/31/tech/innovation/beer-drone-faa/

    The brewery has already indicated a few times that there's a lot of tongue in cheek in the vid.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hobbyking have been beer lifting for years

    The unlimited 2013 class was comprehensively won by a German quad lifting nearly 60kg of wheat beer goodness - a far more rewarding amount than a six-pack of watery yellow water.

    https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/beerlift.asp

    (Actual footage shows water substituted for beer in case of spillage)

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Marketing 101...

    If the prospect of being able to have random tat from Amazon delivered by drone generates very little enthusiasm, offer the potential of beer deliveries direct to their back yard... that'll get their attention!

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