SEATTLE – Amazon is testing a delivery service that uses drones to deliver packages within 30 minutes of an order getting placed.
Dubbed Amazon Prime Air, the service uses 8-propeller drones about the size of a remote-controlled airplane to transport shoebox-size plastic bins from fulfillment centers to customers’ homes. The service, which still requires more testing and clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration, could take to the skies as soon as four to five years, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced earlier this week.
The little unmanned aerial vehicles rely on GPS to deliver their cargo, Bezos said in a story published by CNET News.Com.
Aerial drones already deliver packages in China, and a textbook rental start-up in Australia will deliver its packages by drone to Sydney customers starting next spring.
Amazon said in an FAQ that the FAA is working on creating rules governing use of unmanned aerial vehicles.
“One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today,” the company FAQ said, noting that safety was a key concern. “Our vehicles will be built with multiple redundancies and designed to commercial aviation standards.”
