Amazons drone delivery finally launches, but we have so many questions

Date:
Tue, 14 Jun 2022 20:41:27 +0000

Description:
Despite fighting through internal turmoil, Amazon Prime Airs launch doesnt
yet inspire confidence.

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Amazons drone delivery service has finally taken flight with the people of Lockeford, California, being the first to receive packages through the Prime Air program later this year.

The way the service works, according to Amazon , is that customers who live
in Lockeford will start seeing items in the online store that are eligible
for Prime Air delivery. You place an order as you normally would. Afterward, youll get a status tracker with an estimated time of arrival on the order as the drone flies off to your destination.

The drone will fly to a space above your backyard, find an area free of obstacles, and hover over the yard at a safe height. Then the drone will
lower the package, release it on the ground, and fly away.

Amazon revealed a bit about its drones' features, which is something other similar services dont really talk about. The company claims the drones are equipped with a sophisticated sense-and-avoid system to avoid obstacles. They can detect if something is moving or stationary, then change course if necessary.

Amazon worked with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and regulators
to make its drone delivery service possible. Looking at the pictures
provided, the company had to go through many different prototypes before creating one that stuck.

That said, Amazon's brief description of its service leaves many basic questions unanswered.

For starters, what is considered a safe height for dropping packages? What
are the Prime Air eligible items and are they fragile? What if someone doesnt have a backyard? Are Prime Aire deliveries more expensive? Are they covered under Amazon Prime customers' free shipping benefit? We reached out to Amazon to ask if they could clarify all of these questions and more, but at the time of this writing, theres been no response. Analysis: Hard to feel confident

While its exciting to see this service finally - ahem - take off, the lack of details and a spotty drone delivery track record dont inspire a lot of confidence.

Thus far, Amazon has had a difficult time with its drones. A Bloomberg report from April 2022 revealed the team was dealing with technical problems and safety issues. Amazon also scaled back its international drone delivery program. According to a 2021 Wired report , Amazon shut down the Prime Air program in the UK after considerable inner turmoil.

Meanwhile, Walmarts own drone delivery service looks more promising. The company teamed up with tech company DroneUp to offer a delivery program that can reach four million American households across six states. It flies seven days a week for 12 hours. Hopefully, Amazons rocky history with drones
becomes a bad memory and its delivery service takes off.

Thinking of getting into drones? TechRadar has a list of best beginner drones for 2022 .



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/amazons-drone-delivery-finally-launches-but-we- have-so-many-questions/


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