Parachute Shipping Labels May Be Stuck to Your Amazon Deliveries in the Near Future

Amazon has been trying to use drones for their deliveries for a long time, as we’ve seen at the Mars Conference when they used Prime Air to deliver products. A patent that the company filed in 2015 has recently been awarded to Amazon, helping them develop Prime Air even further.
The patent was awarded for a new shipping label that can be used in Amazon’s Aerial Package Delivery System. While traditional shipping labels shouldn’t really need a patent, Amazon’s innovative shipping labels will come with parachutes.
Because Amazon is such a successful company, they handle hundreds of orders on a daily basis and must be as efficient as possible in order to keep things running smoothly at their warehouses. The parachute labels will have self-adhesive backing, parachute cords and a parachute, and a breakaway cover; it is also possible for the labels to have sensors to allow them to land more accurately, as well as a shock absorber to protect packages from taking too much damage. These labels can only improve delivery efficiency.
Labels would stick to the top of a package, right underneath where the drone would lift the package from. The label’s parachute would be deployed as soon as the drone releases the package in flight; if the package was on the larger side, multiple parachutes could be attached to ensure the package lands safely on the ground.
Using parachutes means that drones will not have to descend with the package in order to deliver it safely—the packages could simply float down with the help of the affixed parachutes. This also saves drones’ energy, preventing the battery from draining as quickly. It is also less likely that someone gets injured by either the drone or the package falling from the sky, but that risk is not completely eliminated. Lastly, because the drone won’t have to touch the ground, the drone is much less likely to be stolen.
It is obvious that Amazon is committed to using drone technology to help the company grow and deliver products more efficiently. The company has even filed patents to develop air canisters and landing flaps to help the package descend more smoothly, to protect the contents from being damaged.
Via: PC Mag