Warehouses De Pauw : Amazon is working hard on urban beehives

In 2015, Amazon submitted a patent for constructing towers that look like beehives. The purpose? An urban warehouse for its delivery drones, which are currently in full development (read more here).

Skyscrapers for drones

The beehives will be vertically constructed in city centres to perfectly integrate into the skyscraper-dominated skylines of American cities. The height also ensures that the drones can fly in and out safely, without putting pedestrians at risk. Amazon's vision is to have one of these beehives in every American city in the long term.

The patent was published in July of this year by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and includes several different designs for the buildings. The designs go beyond just a beehive, including a cylindrical building, and even a building in the shape of a giant UFO. Amazon's official name for these are 'multi-level fulfilment centres for unmanned aerial vehicles'.

Sustainable delivery within the city

There will be space for traditional road transport operations in these buildings as well. There will also be a self-service area where customers can come pick up their goods themselves. The patent even specifies how Amazon employees will attach the packages to the drones.

The beehives are a possible solution to a problem that is currently delaying the development of the drone delivery system: how can you make deliveries by drones more efficient than standard road transport? Traditional warehouses are often localised outside of the city centre. Amazon is taking a different tack with this patent application, and is capitalising on the growing urbanisation and increasing population in cities, as well as the need for sustainable delivery solutions within the city caused by this growth.

Will these really be built?

It is currently unclear whether Amazon will actually develop the drone warehouses, given that patents are often not actualised and there are a lot of challenges at the moment. One of these challenges is the drones' noise levels. In its patent application, Amazon proposes specially designed rotors for these, which thanks to clever noise insulation and less air circulation, will fly more quietly.

Is it an Amazon publicity stunt or do they really mean it? Only the future can tell. But we are certainly looking forward to further developments!