Coffee delivery drone that can predict when you’re tired is patented by IBM

It would be the most innovative way to get your caffeine fix

Next time you are queueing for coffee or at the supermarket checkout or in the post office and you see someone at breaking point, why not let them jump ahead? (Getty)

Coffee fans, brace yourselves: your favourite caffeinated beverage could be about to get a whole lot more sci-fi.

In developments that are bound to thrill coffee-drinkers and technophiles alike, IBM has patented a coffee-delivering drone that will be able to detect when people are tired and respond by bringing them a warm cup of Joe.

While the technology company has not yet revealed whether it intends to actually produce the drone, the news has sparked global titillation, as the idea of coffee on-demand becomes a closer reality.

According to a patent document by the US Patent and Trademark Office, there are several versions of the proposed drone.

One suggests it would be able to assess someone’s sleeping pattern via a tracking device such as a Fitbit in addition to monitoring their blood pressure, pupil dilation and facial expressions.

Such measurements would enable the drone to measure how tired someone is and respond accordingly, by providing a well-needed caffeine fix.

The patent, which was first filed in 2015, suggests that the drone could be used in bars and offices, with one option describing how the drinks could be disposed directly into a person’s mug.

While excitement about the proposed drone is rife, sceptics doubt the plans will ever come to fruition due to safety issues.

“The fundamental flaw here is transporting hot liquids through the air," said Colin Newell, a coffee industry expert based in Canada.

"It’s a shtick as much as Amazon saying it’ll deliver parcels to your home by drone," he told USA Today.

Though the concept may seem revolutionary, IBM isn’t the first company to have toyed with the idea of a coffee-delivery drone.

Companies around the world have all experimented with similar devices in recent years, reports Vice, with one Swiss logistics company doing just that in 2017.

The future looks bright - and caffeinated.