If your idea of “the future” includes drone delivery services, then congratulations, we are living in the future! Amazon Prime Air has made its first delivery, as one lucky UK man received the Fire TV and bag of popcorn that he ordered in no time.
As you can see in the video above, testing is taking place in the UK, and this particular package was delivered a week ago on December 7th. The video takes you through the process from beginning to end, and it’s really pretty straightforward. After ordering his Amazon Prime Air eligible items, the items are packed into a box and sent down a conveyor to be loaded onto an available drone. The drone is then carried via a rail system outside where it launches — because this isn’t called Amazon Prime Train — and flies to its target.
The drone is completely automated from takeoff, landing, and return relying on GPS to figure out where it’s going. It cruises along at around 400 ft and can carry packages up to five pounds. The recipient is required to leave out a “target” to ensure proper delivery. In this instance, it appears to be a QR code of some kind that will allow the drone to find its mark.
As we can see, this service is being tested in a pretty wide open area. There aren’t a lot of buildings or vehicles to get in the way and the drone has a pretty clear area to travel and land. We’ll have to wait and see if Amazon plans to test in a more urban environment, though I probably wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.
What do you think about the first test delivery for Amazon Prime Air? Are you in an area that might benefit from drone delivery? Tell us what you think in the comment section below, or on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.
Last Updated on February 14, 2017.
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