Retail giant Amazon has filed a patent for beehive like depots that would be used to house the drones. Amazon has been developing and testing these drones as part of their “prime air” service that aims to deliver small packages in less than 30 minutes. The beehive’s actual name is the “multi-level fulfilment centre” that would accommodate drones in highly populated areas such as large cities.

These types of centres would allow the company to steer away from single story warehouses commonly used to store products. Warehouses are usually located far from towns and would not be convenient for the drones delivering parcels within a 30-minute goal. The company states that by placing these warehouses in the highly populated areas deliveries would become much more effective and would make it possible for them to be transported quickly.

If this patent is confirmed Amazon claims that these centres would allow the drones to complete thousands of orders every day. The centres would also be able to recharge the drones so that there would be a continuous amount of items delivered.

However, sources have speculated that this patent is being used to create a buzz. Despite progress, many firms experimenting with drone deliveries have been struggling with increasing the range and capacity of the drone itself. Currently, Amazon has been limiting the size of the items the drones are carrying to 5lbs. The cost to transport a drone, per pound/volume is a lot higher than many other solutions due to energy requirements.

While it is still unlikely that we will be seeing a fleet of drones grace our skies anytime soon, who knows what the future holds. We don’t own a fleet of flying drones but we do have a team of dedicated couriers that can deliver items quickly and reliably. With our same day guest booking service, we can collect your items within an hour and you are able to select your preferred delivery method!