4 minute read
Out the Box
by 55 North
Shopping’s in the air
Amazon is bringing science fiction closer to reality – by trialling drone deliveries
Amazon customers in California willsoon be the first to be wonderingwhether it’s a bird or a plane – when,in fact, it’s an Amazon drone.
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Amazon is to roll out drone deliveries in Lockeford, California, with packages being dropped in backyards. Customers in the area will be able to give back feedback about Prime Air, which is working with the Federal Aviation Administration and local officials in the area to obtain permission to conduct the deliveries.
IS THAT SAFE?
Drone piloting has generally been marred in the past with headlines of them disrupting planes, violating people’s privacy at home or out and about, as well as being used in warfare.
One of the major challenges in this kind of technology being used commercially has always been avoiding obstacles en route while not interfering with dayto-day life.
Amazon admits that most drones do not have the capability to sense and avoid other aircraft and obstacles, limiting delivery operation to a small radius.
But it says it’s building something different.
According to the commerce giant, its engineers have created a sense-and-avoid system that allows drones to operate at greater distances while avoiding other aircraft, people, pets and obstacles.
“We designed our sense-and-avoid system for two main scenarios: to be safe when in transit, and to be safe when approaching the ground,” Amazon said.
“When flying to the delivery location, the drones need to be able to identify static and moving obstacles.”
Using this system, the Prime Air drone is supposed to be able to identify a static object, like a chimney, or a moving object, like other aircraft.
“As our drone descends to deliver the package into a customer’s backyard, the drone ensures that there’s a small area around the delivery location that’s clear of any people, animals, or other obstacles,” it added.
HOW WILL IT WORK IN PRACTICE?
Customers in the Lockeford area will be able to see Prime Air-eligible items on Amazon, and after placing an order, they would receive an estimated arrival time with a status tracker.
Amazon boasts that drone delivery could complete the whole operation safely in under an hour; the drone will fly to the designated delivery location, descend to the backyard and hover at a safe height.
It will then release the package and rise back up to altitude.
IS ALL THIS NEW?
Not to America, it’s not. In fact, Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos had originally unveiled plans for Prime Air in 2013.
Walmart has also thrown itself in the race to win the skies.
In May 2022, it revealed it is expanding its DroneUp delivery network to 34 sites by the end of the year, potentially reaching four million U.S. households across six states – Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
It promises delivery in as little as 30 minutes for items totalling up to 10 pounds.
COULD IT BE TRIALLED IN THE UK?
This side of the Atlantic has historically been a lot more hesitant to adopt similar technology, due to the various legislative challenges it throws up, including from an aviation point of view.
However, the Royal Mail has recently said it wants a fleet of 500 drones to help deliver the mail to remote communities across the UK.In the next three years it aims to amass 200 drones to deliver the mail on 50 new routes with the Isles of Scilly, Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides being the first to benefit.And although there is a UK Prime Air division working on drone delivery here, the company has no official plans for a launch yet.
