[LINK] Amazon Prime Air

[Jim Birch]

Paul Brooks wrote:

> resolution of GPS and the frequency of sampling, which can be +/- 30
> metres for a fairly rapidly moving device.
>

Google cars don't have a =/- 30 m accuracy.  Cruise missiles do a lot
better than 30m by  augmenting GPS.  A drone could use a combination of
location and other sensing systems to achieve centimetre accuracy.

This could use a combination of
  * GPS (broad scale location)
  * ground based guidance systems, eg, Locata provides 5 - 15 cm, requires
transmitter stations.
  * onboard 3d map combined with visual and/or sensor positioning
  * intertial guidance
  * visual guides for landing (X marks the spot)

This kind of combination would allow very accurate still air flight.  I'm
doubtful that the same accuracy could be achieved easily in the turbulent
wake of buildings now, or soon.  However, seagulls can do this stuff right
now which demonstrates that it is possible with the appropriate design.

A moving object with suitable onboard number crunching capacity can build
up a good 3d picture of its surrounds as it moves.  This sort of technology
- minus the map matching - is now appearing in mobile phones, see

http://seene.co/

- Jim