Designed presumably for the impending omnipresence of autonomous drone delivery, Amazon has received a patent for a shipping label with built-in parachutes. The patent, which was filed in 2015, details a chute system that would allow an “aerial vehicle” to drop packages without landing.
While there are a number of configurations included in the patent, the most telling arrangement reads as a self-adhesive shipping label outfitted with a system of shock-absorbing cords, a breakaway cover or a parachute (or a combination of all three), all of which could be covered with QR codes, coupons or shipping info.
According to a report from Greekwire, multiple labels could be applied to packages of more substantial weight, and the labels themselves can be easily removed when ground shipping is the preferred method of delivery.
No word yet on the rollout. But given that the name on the patent is Jon Hanlon, the senior technical program manager for Prime Air service, we’d have to guess the retail giant is fairly serious about eventually using them.
Keep your eyes on the sky.
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