Amazon is Planning to Deliver Packages to Customers Using Aerial Drones [Video]

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Posted December 2, 2013 at 6:52am by Shalom Levytam

Amazon has announced that its working on a plan to deliver packages to customers using unmanned aerial vehicles. The new service has already been dubbed Amazon Prime Air and is apparently waiting FAA regulations for drones.

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We're excited to share Prime Air — something the team has been working on in our next generation R&D lab. The goal of this new delivery system is to get packages into customers' hands in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehicles.

Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as we advance the technology and wait for the necessary FAA rules and regulations.
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If you think this sounds fake, Amazon assures you it's not.

Q: Is this science fiction or is this real?
A: It looks like science fiction, but it's real. From a technology point of view, we'll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Amazon expects the FAA to put regulations in place as early as 2015 and says, "We will be ready at that time." It's unclear how the company will deal with theft and vandalization of the devices and their cargo but presumably it will have a plan to address those concerns.

Take a look at the video below for more details.

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Adarsh Parthasarathy - December 3, 2013 at 3:23am

Amazon Air: A Whole New Way To Make Sure Your Products Get Lost in Shipping!

Petr - December 2, 2013 at 10:38pm

When I enter my address in google maps it shows my neighbor house ->So the slogan for this delivery: "You buy they use it!" :-)

Jeff G. - December 2, 2013 at 3:32pm

I think that amazon forgot about how little the weather would be cooperative in most parts of the country 100% to make this a reality. One little whiff of wind, rain, or icing would have our packages falling from the sky. Great idea but I don't see it happening soon.

Nt02 - December 2, 2013 at 7:01pm

Since the radius is only 10 miles I think they'd be able to monitor the weather in that area and suspend operations in bad weather. Bad weather passes and Prime Air operations resume. Not too hard with modern tech...

Jason - December 2, 2013 at 1:42pm

You use the shipping container as Tupperware.

myaapple - December 2, 2013 at 1:30pm

I wonder how many of this will get shot off the air.

Chris Garcia - December 2, 2013 at 9:30pm

Where do you live? you must live by the mountains

Chris Garcia - December 2, 2013 at 9:32pm

If that the case, this service wont be available in your area, sorry!

gamerscul9870 - December 3, 2013 at 12:16am

He meant by people trying to hunt this down in the way, maybe he meant they're not that strong in a way and what if it's unable to see where it goes on its own.

gamerscul9870 - December 2, 2013 at 12:16pm

First off, "air", really after the ipad air, second what if they had hundreds of these then sales would be faster.

Great - December 2, 2013 at 8:44am

Drone hunting season! I wonder if there's a guy who goes rides a bike around fixing downed drones…you know…part of an effective team.

evilsearch - December 2, 2013 at 7:01am

This is cool. great and innovative way in delivering. have to deal with those theft and vandalisation thing though.

Sean - December 2, 2013 at 8:27am

Actually not really theft because if you order it you would be expecting it anyway. The thing that i would like to know is how do they get the containers back to amazon?

tommyy - December 2, 2013 at 8:56am

shipping fee includes plastic package. Amazon can sell safe & secure dropping box installed at customers' place.

Chris Garcia - December 2, 2013 at 9:35pm

This delivery service will cost more than an overnight delivery via FedEx or UPS so the plastic container will be included in the delivery fee, I guess.