Amazon has been granted a new patent from the US Patent and Trademark office (USPTO) that details a shipping label with a built in parachute.
The label is designed to allow packages to be dropped mid-flight and safely float their way down to the customer’s address.
The patent was filed in August 2015 and has only just received approval from the USPTO. Although this patent may never end up being used, it does show that Amazon is considering this kind of package delivery.
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The patent details that the label includes a self adhesive backing, several parachute chords, a parachute, and a breakaway cover.
A number of sensors are also discussed, that could track the package’s descent and confirm its arrival at the correct location.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine such a design being adapted for heavier packages by attaching more parachutes.
The first Amazon Prime Air delivery was completed last year in the UK with a further Prime Air demonstration taking place in the US in March. It’s worth noting that parachutes did not feature in either of these instances.
This latest patent demonstrates an idea similar to what start-up company Zipline has been doing in order to deliver aid to Rwanda.
Do you want Amazon to start using parachutes in its Prime Air delivery service? Let us know in the comments.
