Amazon unveiled a prototype drone that could one day deliver packages to online shoppers’ premise just minutes after they press the “buy” button.
The new drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), was created for Prime Air, a same-day delivery service that Amazon first announced in 2013. The company said that its small drones (they weigh just 55 pounds, or 25 kilograms) could deliver packages in 30 minutes or less.
Embedded with “sense-and-avoid” technology, the highly autonomous UAVs can safely fly beyond an operator’s line of sight. But before such a cutting-edge delivery technique takes off, it will need to be supported by authorities in the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel — the three countries in which Prime Air vehicles are currently being tested.
