Amazon wants you to shout at its delivery drones to stop them from crashing
A new concept shows how you'll be able to interact with Amazon's robo-deliverymen, including shouting and frantically waving to shoo them away
AMAZON'S unmanned delivery drones could one day respond when you call to them or wave.
The gestures the drones could recognise are detailed in the company's latest patent, and include a thumbs-up, shouting, and frantic arm-waving.
It's no secret that Amazon is developing a fleet of autonomous aerial vehicles that will drop off parcels from your online shopping basket to your home.
And its concept shows how you'll be able to interact with a robo-deliveryman when it arrives on your doorstep.
Depending on your response, the machine could release the parcel it's carrying, change its flight path to avoid crashing, ask a question, or cancel the delivery.
Among the illustrations in the patent – which was filed in 2016 and published this week – is a man flapping his arms outside his home in what Amazon describes as an "unwelcoming manner".
This action would allow you to shoo a pesky drone away before it moves any closer.
A voice bubble comes out of the man's mouth indicating possible voice commands to the machine flying overhead.
“The human recipient and / or the other humans can communicate with the vehicle using human gestures to aid the vehicle along its path to the delivery location,” the patent states.
According to the filing, the drone's communication system would include a variety of sensors, including depth and audio sensors and a camera that can detect visible, infrared and ultraviolet light.
If a drone gets the a-okay for delivery, it can drop a parcel with extra padding from the air or come in to land.
While the concept hints at Amazon's grand plan, it's still not clear if the drone will ever be produced.
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But seeing as similar tech is already out there – , for example, responds to the wave of a hand – it's easy to see it becoming a reality.
Since unveiling its drone delivery ambitions, Amazon has also filed other jaw-dropping patents that include the use of giant airships to serve as flying warehouses, and designs for drones that self-destruct.
The online retail giant made its first unmanned air vehicle delivery in the UK in 2016.