The next stage of evolution of Amazon Prime is about to take flight.
Two years ago, Amazon’s Prime Air drone program received the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Air Carrier Certificate to operate as an airline. The FAA certification validating Seattle-based Amazon’s operating and safety procedures will now come to fruition with the company announcing Prime Air’s fully autonomous drones that will begin their first deliveries later this year in Lockeford, Calif., and College Station, Texas.
The online behemoth’s new drones can reportedly deliver packages under 5-lb. in under one hour. It sounds like science fiction, but for almost a decade since the concept of Prime Air was floated, Amazon’s team of safety, aerospace, robotics, software and manufacturing experts have been chalk-boarding new drone designs for the program’s liftoff. In order for a program to make a difference at Amazon’s scale, the team decided a truly autonomous drone was the only option.
The hexagonal winged, 85-pound drone’s sophisticated sense-and-avoid detection systems ensure the aircraft won’t have any accidental close encounters. The system lets drones make safety decisions completely autonomously. They possess the independent ability to override their programmed fight path, even choosing to return home, when an unexpected object is encountered. At the heart of Prime Air is an automated drone-management system controlling flight paths and ensuring safe distances between other aircraft in the area.
“This is just the beginning,” Amazon says on its website. “We are constantly redefining, iterating, and experimenting to meaningfully transform the customer experience. We look forward to continuing to learn as we methodically expand this program to more customers in months and years to come.”