IBM has filed a patent with the United States Government for the drone delivery of coffee based on the cognitive state of an individual. “Over 80 per cent of American adults now drink coffee, and this trend is growing, with many people drinking multiple cups of coffee per day,” the IBM patent reads. The drones would primarily operate in office buildings, scanning groups of people to assess the cognitive state of candidates’ suitability to receive the drink. The IBM patent suggests the drone could assess a person’s cognitive state by measuring their sleep quality, biometrics, blood pressure, pupil dilation, facial expressions and the time they woke up in morning. The drone could also keep track of time of day, meeting schedules, the size of a group and level of interaction within it, and complexity of work schedules and topics. People would also be able to summon the drone with hand gestures or other motions. The drone would then lower the beverage to the person via a string that could either be attached to the drone or to the coffee cup. The IBM patent also details several ways the drone could carry the beverage to prevent spills, including the use of cup holders and plastic wrapping. The coffee could be prepared either by an automated coffee maker or barista and then loaded onto the drone with robotic placement devices. IBM has not announced if or when it intends to produce the drones.
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