IBM Wants To Make Coffee-Delivering Drones That Monitor You At Work

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ARMONK, N.Y. (CBS Local) - Would you feel uncomfortable if a drone watched your every move at work? What if that drone brought you coffee when you needed it most?

IBM has filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for their idea of a camera-equipped drone that hovers over you, watching your pupil dilation and facial expressions to judge if you need more coffee.

Thomas Erickson, the patent's lead inventor has reportedly retired from IBM, but says the project would use hardware and "artificial intelligence" to track an employee's coffee needs, according to Fortune. The idea was reportedly developed as a way to save workers from making mistakes while on the job, by delivering a caffeine boost at the right moment.

"IBM encourages our researchers to pursue their interests even though not all of their inventions become commercial products," spokeswoman Amanda Carl said in an email, obtained by KHOU. "By publishing their inventions as patents, we give our researchers the recognition they deserve and make their work public, so it can inspire new innovations."

Costa Coffee reportedly tried a similar coffee drone last year in Dubai however, that drone was delivering iced coffee to local beach goers.

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• IBM