>So now you have to put a camera and a remote control system with a range of many miles on the drone. And it can only work if there's a line of sight.
Pack it in, boys. Until someone develops some sort of wireless technology which we could use to receive information from the drone as well as control it, and deploys it widely across high population-density areas, this drone idea just won't be feasible.
I've never researched the exact technology behind military drones but my understanding is they are capable of everything you mentioned being not yet possible.
I just can't wrap my head around how these are possible in areas like Manhattan where they would be most useful. Not to mention 4 or 5 years is probably about the understatement of the century as to when it will be permitted by the FAA.
The power requirements for a camera and a cell connection are pretty small compared to what it takes to keep that thing in the air. I mean, your phone can go for a full day with it's tiny little battery, and it even has that big power sucking screen to drive too.
>You didn't address the weight and the power requirements for it.
Likely nominal. Considering the drone probably has a camera already for routine (non-piloted operations) weight wouldn't be significant. Power wouldn't be huge as wireless service wouldn't be required until the drone is ready to land. Besides, this isn't a long-flight drone.
>The range of the drones is already horrible.
The range of the drones is likely driven by business, not technology. I'm sure if Amazon is serious about this program they've selected a 10 mile radius from their processing centers as a way to control costs & give the drone high operating time margins. If they do it, and it works, I wouldn't be surprised to see larger runs in the future.
>The costs of controlling drones over the wireless networks would be pretty high too.
I can't speak to that directly, but don't forget Amazon already subsidizes wireless costs with Whispernet on the Kindle, so I wouldn't be surprised if they've got some good agreements with wireless networks already. Of course the data needs for video is much greater than for sending an ebook, but this is a lower-volume proposition, both in actual wireless use time & customer count.
So now you have to put a camera and a remote control system with a range of many miles on the drone. And it can only work if there's a line of sight.
Fail.