Aerial Fulfillment Centers by Amazon

Aerial Fulfillment Centers by Amazon could be the next big thing in logistics. The ecommerce giant recently received a patent for a floating warehouse design. Drones would take off and resupply at the aerial fulfillment centers to decrease time returning to ground locations. The aerial centers themselves would be supported by helium or heated air much the same way blimps are kept aloft.

“An AFC may be positioned at an altitude above a metropolitan area, and be designed to maintain an inventory of items that may be purchased by a user,” the patents notes. Those items would then be deliverable by drone; however, several obstacles remain such as drones flying into buildings or even being hacked and hijacked. We may see floating warehouses and drones flying over our heads delivering our goods someday but Amazon still has yet to confirm if they intend to take this patent to the air.