From CNet
Refueling on the move sounds like a pipe dream when it comes to gas cars, but Amazon could make it a reality for your future electric car.Read more: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/amazon-patents-a-drone-that-can-juice-up-your-ev-on-the-fly/Amazon was recently granted US patent number 9,778,653, otherwise known as "Systems, devices and methods delivering energy using an uncrewed autonomous vehicle." Basically, it's a drone that can juice up your EV's battery while you're on the move.
It works like this: If an EV is incapable of reaching its destination with its current charge level, it can request a top-off from a server, which will dispatch a drone to a rendezvous location. The drone will read a target atop the car to determine it's the right one, and it will then dock with the vehicle while it's moving, providing extra charge so the car can reach its destination.
The images included with the patent application show multiple methods of attaching the drone to the target vehicle, including a retractable docking system and another that relies on clamps. The drone's battery is rechargeable, so it can return to base and fill itself back up before supplying yet another EV with juice.
Amazon scares me but god damnit they can have an easy shopping experience and can get a package to my door fast on the cheap.
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