Amazon’s drone deliveries have begun to take flight in California and Texas.
Key Details
- Amazon Prime Air has begun delivering packages by human-watched drones in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas.
- Deliveries eligible for Prime Air must be five pounds or less, and Amazon says that 85% of shipments fall into that category.
- “The drone will fly to the designated delivery location, descend to the customer’s backyard, and hover at a safe height,” says Amazon. “It will then safely release the package and rise back up to altitude.”
Why it’s news
Amazon is continuously looking for the best ways to get packages to customers and has been working toward drone deliveries for years. Now drones are officially delivering packages to customers.
Amazon Prime Air is delivering packages by drone in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas—with hopes of moving to more cities in the future.
Residents can sign up for Prima Air, and then Amazon will confirm if the customers’ package can be delivered to the location by drone safely. Once the order is confirmed, the customer gets an estimated delivery time of when the drone will approach their home.
“Our aim is to safely introduce our drones to the skies. We are starting in these communities and will gradually expand deliveries to more customers over time,” says Amazon Air spokesman Natalie Banke.
The drones fly autonomously, but since they are still in the early stages, they must be watched by a human to ensure safety and make sure the drones avoid all potential obstacles.
Backing up a Bit
This isn’t the first time Amazon has attempted to add a drone to its delivery fleet, the company has been working towards the goal for years.
Amazon previously introduced a drone, but it faced many challenges, causing the company to reconfigure the device and debut it later.
The first drone could not withstand many elements, so the new Prime Air device was made with that in mind and has been configured to withstand many challenges, including weather conditions and safety features to help it avoid people, pets, and other obstacles.