Friday, January 31, 2014

It is correct to stop this drone delivery program.

Janaury 31, 2014

One canny brewer (click here) had the idea of getting its beer out to fisherman in their huts on the iced over lakes of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Lakemaid Beer posted a YouTube advert showing the drone in action delivering a 12 pack to a thirsty fisherman.

The order is taken in the off-licence with GPS co-ordinates allowing the six propeller drone to carry the beer across the frozen lake....

This is dangerous. Not just the idea of drone flying overhead with a realiatively heavy package, but, also from the potential for drunkenness while ice fishing. I mean you've got to be joking.

To begin with there is the weight of the package, the fact is the brewer doesn't know who is at the end of the GPS signal. He could be selling to a minor and never know it. Then there is the danger of fisherman getting carried away with their alcohol intake. At least when they have to come off the ice they have to travel and be sober enough to do so. It creates a safety zone of understanding that the fisherman/women can't stay out on the ice while being inebriated and then expect to go back to the brewery to purchase more.

There is some real danger here and while the brewer meant no harm in providing a satisfying service, it is not thought out well. There has to be a way of establishing the age of the purchaser, limit a safe weight of any package in case it falls off the drone or the drone malfunctions. Drones can become huge and carrying packages of substantial weight. The beer will have to be packaged in smaller amounts per package. Then there is the accountability of the purchaser and their alcohol intake. Bar owners can be held responsible for serving customers to the point of danger. There has to be that same standard. 

It should not be difficult to determine the 'safe level' of consumption for such a service. The average weight of a person and the amount of alcohol consumed over a hour to maintain a sober state can be determined. The delivery would have to limit the delivery to a 'sober state' amount during the course of any day.

This all has to be looked at and limits placed on such a service.