While you might expect a hive to be full of bees, a new patent filed by Amazon suggests that giant versions of the structures could soon be used to house drones.

A patent published today shows a nine-story hive with space for hundreds of drones.

While Amazon has not said when, or if, it plans to create the hives, the patent suggests that they could be used in ‘downtown districts’ or ‘urban areas’ where there is little space to build outwards.

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The patent was filed by six Amazon inventors in 2015, but has only been accepted today.

The patent, which is published with the US Patent and Trademark Office, states: ‘A multi-level (ML) fulfillment centre is designed to accommodate landing and takeoff of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), possibly in an urban setting, such as in a densely populated area.

‘Unlike traditional fulfillment centres, the ML fulfillment centres may include many levels (i.e., stories, floors, etc.) as permitted under zoning regulations for respective areas.’

While most of Amazon’s fulfilment centres are in more rural areas where there is room to sprawl out, the patent recognises that such centres wouldn’t be possible in busy cities.

The patent states: ‘There is a growing need and desire to locate fulfillment centres within cities, such as in downtown districts and densely populated parts of the cities.

‘By locating the fulfillment centres within the cities, items may be more quickly delivered to the growing population of people that live in the cities, as well as the large population of people who work in the cities.’

The hive could complete hundreds of thousands of orders to people in cities every day, according to the patent.

This isn’t the first time that Amazon has patented a wacky idea around its drone delivery systems.

Last month, Amazon patented a new system that adds a parachute to a shipping label.

The device could help to make sure that packages delivered by drone or other airborne crafts make a soft landing.

The patent reads: ‘The system can comprise a label that includes a parachute to enable the packages to be dropped from the aerial vehicle, yet land at the package’s destination without damage.’

Amazon has not been shy about its drone-delivery ambitions, with trials taking place in the UK at the end of 2016, and the first ‘Prime Air’ demonstration in the US in March. 

It is unclear if and when Amazon plans to use these two patents. 

 

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