Amazon Starts Drone Delivery Trials

Amazon has launched drone delivery trials at several new locations in California and Texas. David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air, announced the development on LinkedIn. In this announcement, he gave detailed information about the new developments.

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First Trials in Texas and California

Amazon has been developing its drone delivery service since 2013. The autonomous aerial vehicle at the center of the platform has gone through many designs over the past decade, each one improving on the last as the e-commerce giant tries to convince regulators to let it fly. The vehicles are capable of safe and reliable operation. The company is preparing to launch its newest aircraft design in 2024, with improved durability and range beyond the current nine miles. While the rules governing commercial drone flights are still quite strict, other leaders in the industry, such as Amazon and Alphabet-owned Wing, are running pilot programs, such as those recently launched in California and Texas.

Certain customers can use a smartphone app to order small products online as usual. A drone is then loaded and sent to the customer's address. Once the ordered product is received, it is lowered to the ground using an extendable rope. Using drones can help speed up delivery services, especially in urban areas where road traffic can slow things down. Electric flying machines can also help reduce carbon emissions.

But drones need to be robust enough to overcome adverse weather conditions, otherwise deliveries can be delayed if there are no road vehicles to make the journey. The machines can also be noisy and disturb people living below the flight paths. With this in mind, manufacturers of commercial delivery drones are trying to create quieter aircraft to keep the peace.