Coffee by Drone?

IBM now has a patent for delivering a cup of joe at precisely the moment someone wants one.

August 24, 2018

ARMONK, N.Y. – You know that moment when you desperately need a cup of coffee? Wouldn’t it be nice if one just appeared on your desk or in your hand? This might happen sooner than you think, with IBM’s new patent for delivery coffee by drone, Media Post reports.

The coffee drone would determine if someone is in need of coffee based on biometrics, blood pressure, facial expression, electronic calendar, pupil dilation, sleep quality and time of day. If the drone makes a mistake and the target doesn’t want a cup of joe, then another person nearby could summon the delivery robot instead. If the demand for coffee is more than one drone could deliver, the drone also might be able to enlist other drone reinforcements, or alternatively, allow consumers to bid on the remaining available coffee.

In prioritizing delivery, the coffee drone would have the ability to use the effect of social psychology to initially provide “coffee to a person who is popular, famous or otherwise has a high social status, as social proof is known to be magnified by such factors,” the patent stated.

The patent illustrated a four-propeller drone with a coffee holder, clamp to keep the drink secure, and a gimbal joint to steady the coffee upright. Add-ons such as sweeteners and cream would likely be dispensed via a tube. The drone also might contain sensors to determine potential targets by heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, temperature and other gestures indicative of sleepiness or grogginess.

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