US grants Amazon patent for drones that react to human gestures

Alia Paavola -

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Amazon a new patent last week for a delivery drone that can react to human gestures, including screaming, flailing and a thumbs-up, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Amazon's latest patent is part of its goal to create a fleet of unmanned drones that can send packages to customers within 30 minutes.

Depending on a person's gestures, such as a thumbs-up or a loud shriek, the drone can adjust its behavior. According to the patent, the drone can release the package, change its path to avoid crashing, ask humans a question or abort the delivery. To recognize human voices as well as hand and body gestures, the drones will be equipped with sensors and cameras. 

"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," Amazon's patent states, according to the LA Times.

This is not Amazon's only patent to expand its air delivery service. In April 2016, Amazon applied for a patent to launch an airborne warehouse, which would act as a launch pad for drones to deliver items to consumers. 

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