Amazon has patented a smartphone-controlled drone system designed to replace a conventional ski-lift.
The filing said the innovative system could allow skiers to reach remote areas or “customise their skiing experience” by allowing riders to find fresh powder.
It also states a similar concept could even be used for water-skiing or skateboarding.
The system would work by attaching a rope with a tow handle onto a drone that would be summoned by a mobile phone.
It would have the advantage of allowing skiers to reach virtually any location and would simply retract the rope when it reaches a summit.
According to a report in British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, the patent application was written by Amazon executive Gur Kimchi, the vice president of the company’s drone delivery project.
In June, World of Aviation reported that sister business Amazon Air signed a lease agreement that will see it take on 12 Boeing 767-300s from Ohio-based Air Transport Services Group (ATSG).
Amazon Air claims to have helped transport “essential PPE supplies for Amazon associates, frontline health workers and relief organisations across the US, all while maintaining capacity for regular cargo operations to ensure customers continue to receive the items they need”.
