Did you see the Amazon commercial this past weekend? You might’ve been fooled (like this columnist ) into thinking it was a serious news item on a new commercial use for drones. But, in fact, it was a press release from Amazon timed for wide distribution right before Cyber Monday, a big day for online shopping. Only a tragic train wreck kept the delivery drones from being the top news item on practically every major TV news program. The news directors couldn’t resist the free B-roll of Amazon-labelled mini-copters flying around and dropping off a package. But couldn’t they tell an ad from real news? Or did they not even care?
How many obstacles can you count standing between Amazon and its pipe dream?
Steve serves as Senior Editor of Machine Design. He has 23 years of service and has a B.S. Biomedical Engineering from CWRU. Steve was a E-2C Hawkeye Naval Flight Officer in the U.S. Navy. He is currently responsible for areas such as aerospace, defense, and medical.
