Announced several years ago, Amazon plans to launch its air freight offering in California. The e-commerce giant has chosen the small town of Lockerford, with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, as the pioneer of its new service. However, it will have to wait for the official green light from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
A full-scale test of Amazon Prime Air in California
Amazon’s next drone delivery service will be called Prime Air. ” Later this year […] Residents of Lockerford, California will be able to sign up for drone delivery for free “, indicates the firm, without giving more details on the official launch date.
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Consumers will have the option to choose between thousands of everyday products which will be dropped by the drone in their garden or on their doorstep. They will then be asked to obtain their feedback. This information will be used to perfect this service in order to pass it on a large scale for “ meet the needs of customers all over the world “.
Amazon will be able to deliver packages the size of a shoebox over twenty kilometers
A dozen prototypes were designed before finding the drone compatible with the service that Amazon wants to offer. The chosen drone will be able to identify and avoid obstacles, whether static or moving (other aerial devices, animals, chimneys, antennas, roofs of houses, etc.). The company is pleased with the sophistication of its device, because according to it, ” Most drones do not have this capability […] and require observers to help them avoid risks. They can be deployed quite quickly, but remain limited to a small radius of operation “.
Here’s what the drone that Amazon will use for its Prime Air service will look like. Photography: Amazon.
The drones used for Prime Air will be able to carry loads of up to 2.3 kilograms and whose package would be as big as a ” big shoe box “. These flying devices will be able to travel 24 kilometres, from the drop-off center to the consumer’s home.
Amazon isn’t the only company that has launched (or plans to launch) its drone delivery service. One of the largest retail companies in the United States, Walmart, has already implemented its offer and hopes to extend it to six American states (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia). This should allow Walmart to cover 4 million households to ensure more than one million deliveries per year.
Amazon will have to wait for FAA approval
Two years ago, the FAA gave its authorization to deploy a drone delivery service to Amazon. However, last April, a survey conducted by Bloomberg changed the game. 13 former employees of the firm headed by Jeff Bezos have brought to light major security problems and technical shortcomings that are preventing the project from moving forward in good conditions.
Amazon had to review its copy and recently presented its new project to the FAA, which must now rule on the possibility for the firm to offer its drone service to the general public.