Amazon Releases New Prime Air Information

In 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos released news planning to have unmanned drones to deliver packages more quickly and efficiently.

“When I first heard of the drone idea, I thought, Wow. That’s crazy! It really starts feeling like the future when you hear about drones delivering your packages,” says Sarah Smith, a senior at Arrowhead High School.

On November 29th, 2015, Amazon released a new advertisement for their drone. According to the information released by Amazon, the new drones will be able to deliver customer’s packages that weigh less than five pounds in under thirty minutes.

The drones will fly under the 400 foot level and weigh less than 55 pounds. Using “sense and avoid” technology, Amazon claims it can safely operate the drones up to 10 miles.

“We will not launch Prime Air until we are able to demonstrate safe operations.” The company representative said on Amazon’s website. The company currently has Prime Air development centers created for the speedy delivery of the future drones, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel.

A video, also released Sunday by Amazon, shows a drone bringing a pair of soccer cleats to a family. As it nears the address of the buyer, it scans the yard for an appropriate place to land, drops the package, and then flies off.

However, Amazon will have a struggle getting these drones up in the air, according to ABC News.

“I think it would be so cool to order something and have it come that quickly, it’s wild to think about. I will definitely be using it when it becomes a real thing,” says Diya Ramanathan, an AHS senior.

According to CBS News, many people believe that drone delivery technology is not viable yet, and that Amazon’s “Prime Air” video was just a marketing stunt. However, Matternet, a medical goods delivery service started out of the San Francisco Bay Area, is already using drones in different countries to deliver packages.

CBS News also says the lack of laws legalizing and regulating drones for commercial use in the U.S. is a hurdle for every company wishing to someday use them.

While CBS states that many consumers are skeptical of the low maximum weight the drone is able to carry, five pounds, 86% of the items Amazon delivers weigh less that that.

While there is no air craft control at the low heights that the Amazon Drone claims to fly at, there soon will be. According to CBS News, the increase in interest in drone use by companies such as Amazon and Google has sped up the efforts for air craft control at low altitudes. Aircraft control will be useful in making sure drones avoid trees, houses, and buildings while also preventing collisions between drones.

According to Amazon’s latest video, drones can fly up to fifteen miles before they run out of batteries. The link can be found on Amazon’s YouTube page. As these drones are still in the beginning stages of creation, it’s possible that in the near future this distance will increase. As of 2014, Amazon has operates 69 fulfillment warehouses. According Piper Jaffray analysts, 31% of the U.S. population lives within 20 miles of these warehouses. As well as 20 miles away from 50-65% of Amazon’s core customers who are interested in same day delivery.

According to CNN.com, these drones are not ready just yet, but “will be ready in the not so distant future.”.