Amazon to launch robots that unlock doors to deliver items

Amazon is designing box-shaped robot ‘postmen’ that can open smartlocks on doors and deliver items while the you are out of the house.

The move would see ‘autonomous ground vehicles (AGV) transport parcels from delivery trucks and place them either at your front door or inside your home. 

Amazon envisages the bots being owned by a group of neighbours or a building block, where it could charge itself in a communal areas such as a garage or lobby. 

Details of the automated delivery drones suggest they may have access to Amazon Key, or a similar service.

This is a lock and camera system that users control remotely to allow couriers to slip goods into their houses.

The Seattle-based retail firm’s plans were published as part of a US patent application, which revealed that the drones will use a robotic arm to retrieve items from an on-board storage compartment.

The application outlines some of the technology Amazon hopes to pack into the boxy bots, including lights, imaging and proximity sensors and GPS.

It also outlines systems to open barriers, such as doors, to gain access to properties, garages, delivery lockers and other outbuildings.

The robot may have a touch-screen, a keypad, and a biometric scanner so that recipients of packages are able to confirm their identify.

The storage part of the bot could be refrigerated to ensure groceries don’t spoil.

AGV is the creation of Tye Michael Brady, chief technologist at Amazon Robotic, and Ethan Zane Evans, Amazon’s vice president for Twitch Prime, commerce and developer success.

Writing in the patent application, they said: ‘The AGVs may be owned by individual users and/or may service a group of users in a given area (e.g. in an apartment building, neighborhood, etc).’

‘The AGVs may travel out to meet a transportation vehicle, and may line up in a particular order.

‘After items are received, the AGVs may travel back to deliver the items and may be equipped to open and close access barriers.’

The device looks similar to a robot developed by Starship Technologies, which was trialed in Greenwich, London in 2017 to deliver groceries for Tesco, which are small bots on wheels which are GPS-connected. 

Drones, both ground and air-based, are designed to address the ‘last mile’ problem of shipping, which is the most difficult for businesses to automate.

Business management consultancy McKinsey estimates that 80 per cent of all package deliveries will be autonomous in the next decade.

Drones, both ground and air-based, are designed to address the ‘last mile’ problem of shipping, which is the most difficult for businesses to automate. A diagram shows the configuration for an autonomous ground vehicle with two compartments

The device looks similar to a robot developed by Starship Technologies, which was trialed in Greenwich, London in 2017 to deliver groceries for Tesco, which are small bots on wheels which are GPS-connected 

Some have expressed safety concerns over the Amazon key system, however, after a bug in the software was exposed in December 2017, shortly after the service’s launch.

This could let hackers freeze images shown on your camera of your door being closed, while criminals are really making off with your prized possessions.

Researchers from Seattle based network vulnerability firm Rhino Labs discovered the flaw, which utilises a common issue with many WiFi connected gadgets.

This lets nearby attackers overload them with a series of ‘deauthorisation’ commands. 

This takes the camera temporarily offline, for as long as the attacker keeps sending the command.

Amazon’s Cloud Cam responds by freezing on the last frame filmed.

If this was a shot of the door closed and appearing secure, everything would appear normal to anyone watching the live or recorded feed.

IS AMAZON PLANNING TO TRACK ITS EMPLOYEES?

Amazon, it seems, wants to keep a close eye on its employees.

One of the firm’s latest patent suggests it is working on an ultrasonic wristband that can monitor a worker’s every move.

According to the patent, data about the position of a worker’s hands is sent to the company in real-time.

Amazon describes the technology as a ‘time-saving’ device, but some have criticised the system for going a step too far in monitoring performance. 

The Amazon patent was published by the United States Patent Office.

Diagrams in the patent show how workers will wear bracelets on either hand, which contain ‘ultrasonic units’. The company insists this is a labour-saving measure to verify the correct items are being processed

It describes ‘ultrasonic tracking of a worker’s hands’ that would be used to ‘monitor performance of assigned tasks.’

Diagrams show how workers will wear bracelets on either hand, which contain ‘ultrasonic units.’ 

The patent states: ‘The ultrasonic unit is configured to be worn by a user in proximity to the user’s hand and to periodically emit ultrasonic sound pulses.’

These silent pulses would then be picked by ‘ultrasonic transducers’ placed around the warehouse.

The patent outlines a feedback system which means the device vibrates to point the wearer’s hand in the right direction. 

While some are concerned about this new patent, an Amazon spokesperson told the MailOnline that ‘the speculation about this patent is misguided’.