Amazon Files Patent Application for a Hive-Like Structure for Urban Drone Deliveries

"Amazon has applied for a patent for tailoring its fulfillment centers for a future where drones are delivering items to people’s doorsteps in urban areas," reports April Glaser.

"The e-commerce giant imagines beehive-like towers filled with robots, where drones can dock and be restocked before flying out again for another delivery," adds Glaser.

An important goal described in the patent application is the ability to locate fulfillment centers in urban areas, instead of on the outskirts of metropolitan areas where such facilities are currently located.

Glaser also notes that filing a patent application does not mean this vision of the future is a sure thing, "but it does pull the curtain back to show how the online retailer is thinking about the integration of drones into its shipping process."