Amazon Receives Patent for Package Delivering Robots

San Diego – Amazon has recently been awarded a patent which details how robots might one day deliver packages to your front door.  The patent reveals how a self-driving vehicle with a robot on board along with multiple boxes in protective compartments would be programmed to travel into a residential area to make multiple deliveries.  It is also confirmed that the robot would also be able to pick up items for return, too.  <!–more–>

The patents fits into an Amazon patent portfolio which includes patents for drone deliveries and automated grocery stores that automatically check you out as you leave the store.

With this new patent, it may be that Amazon is hedging its bets on which type of robotic delivery becomes more prevalent as between drones and ground based delivery.  Amazon has not set any dates or made any promises to implement robotic deliveries.  However, Amazon has always been a technology company that aggressively pursues technological advancement so we may have robotic delivery sooner than we might believe.  In fact, Amazon is already testing models of robotic delivery outside of Seattle including Amazon Scout.

Amazon Scout covers a similar patent for a 6 wheeled device that can deliver small packages and make one delivery at a time before needing new product to deliver.  The newest patent is a natural evolution of Amazon Scout. The newest proposed robot will hold more items with larger weight and size.

The design is not farfetched and in Amazon fashion they have accounted for endless scenarios in the patent to ensure the highest quality of delivery.  The device will include an enclosed and sturdy container that includes compartmental cushion to ensure package safety.  Cameras have also been mentioned to boost safety, along with microphones for voice activation via Alexa.  GPS will be used for programming of specific locations and routes, the device will include scanners to process orders from phone apps, and the list goes on and on.  Amazon continues to push the envelope of technological advancement.

The newest patent was submitted two years ago by Wicksell Metellus, Kristopher William Bell, Julius Chen, Wesley Scott Lauka, and Ryan Scott Russell.  All of these Seattle based innovators worked together to create the design of the patent.