Amazon has already been starts trials of drone delivery in Texas and California. Announced by Vice president of Amazon Prime Air.
Amazon Prime Air Vice President David Carbon announced the development on LinkedIn. His post included a photo (below) showing one of his drones carrying a small box on the end of a rope.
“First deliveries from our new sites in Texas and California,” Carbon wrote in his post. “Couldn’t be prouder of the amazing people that make up Prime Air. These are careful first steps that we will turn into giant leaps for our customers over the next number of years.”
Carbone added:
“Customers are our obsession, safety is our top priority, delivering the future is our mission, technology enables the future and our people are the foundation of everything.”
Amazon has been working on its drone delivery service since 2013. The platform’s autonomous drone has gone through several designs over the last decade, each improving on the last as the e-commerce giant tries to impress regulators. The machine can operate safely and reliably. The company hopes to launch the latest aircraft design in 202, with greater durability and range than the current nine miles.
With rules governing commercial drone flights still rather strict, Amazon and other leaders in the industry such as Alphabet-owned Wing have been operating pilot schemes like the ones that have just launched in California and Texas.
Select customers can use a smartphone app to order small items online in the usual way. A drone is then loaded up and sent to the customer’s address. Upon arrival, the ordered product is lowered to the ground using an extendable tether.
The use of drones could help speed up last-mile delivery services, especially in urban areas where road traffic can slow things down. Electric planes also help reduce carbon emissions.
But drones must be tough enough to withstand extreme weather conditions, otherwise deliveries can be delayed if no road vehicle is available for the flight. These machines can also be noisy and disturb people living below their flight paths. With this in mind, commercial drone manufacturers are working to create quieter aircraft to keep the peace.