In December of last year Amazon successfully piloted its first drone delivery in Cambridge, England. This service, called Prime Air will allow customers to receive their packages in 30 minutes or less. This is currently in its trial stage, but they are planning on expanding the private trial to more customers over time. Amazon’s drones come equipped with sense and avoid technology and are navigated by GPS. Currently, the drones can carry packages up to 5 pounds.
Although this is an exciting advancement in technology, we seem to be a long way from widespread drone delivery. Strict regulations in the US and other countries may hold up Amazon’s plans. Although the Federal Aviation Administration has issued new rules, allowing for the commercial use of drones under certain circumstances; these drones must be operated remotely by a human pilot.
The immediate future of Amazon’s Air Prime in the US is unclear. Although it seems for now Amazon has been stopped in their tracks, as regulations adapt to new technologies it may be possible drones find their way into future delivery. As this technology evolves and becomes more widely available, it could become a benefit for your store. This could allow businesses to offer delivery that couldn’t before, eliminating the need and expense of a vehicle and a person to manually deliver packages.
Sources: amazon.com, nytimes.com
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