Photo: Amazon
Drone deliveries are picking up pace all over the world, but nowhere does this push seems to be as intense as in the United States. And now that retail giant Amazon was cleared to fly its drones beyond visual line of sight, the pace is about to pick up even more.
It's been two years since the online giant began delivering small packages by using drones. It first did so in College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California, and the runs have been so successful that earlier this year an expansion to the Phoenix Metro Area in Arizona was announced (the Cali routes will be discontinued, however).
Amazon uses for the task at hand a drone called MK27-2. The small flying machine is capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kph), moving to delivery places that are located some nine miles (14 km) from the departure point while carrying packages that weigh as much as five pounds (2.3 kg).
The range of the drones was until now limited not solely by their capabilities, but by regulations as well. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) only lets drone operators fly their machines if a line of sight between human and machine can be maintained. That is at least until proper beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) technologies can be developed.
And that's exactly what Amazon claims to have done: it created a piece of tech that doesn't require humans to see the drone for them to control it.
The exact details on the technology and its capabilities have not been disclosed, but Amazon says it includes an onboard detect-and-avoid system that should allow the drones to keep out of harm's way, and not become a danger to people and property.
The company says it demoed the tech in front of FAA people, flying drones in the same airspace as real planes, helicopters, and even a hot air balloon. The overseers of all things aviation in the country seem to have been convinced, as they've cleared Amazon for BVLOS delivery flights.
What that means is that we're about to see a serious expansion of Amazon drone delivery services. The people in College Station, Texas, including the ones in more densely populated areas, will be the first to benefit from it, and later this year the service will be integrated in the Same-Day Delivery sites.
Probably knowing this was going to be the outcome of its efforts, Amazon started a while back working on a new kind of drone. Called MK30, it should come with significantly better capabilities than the current design.
The new aircraft is presently undergoing testing, but when ready it should be capable of flying in more diverse weather conditions, and should be capable of bringing packages to smaller backyards and in more densely populated areas.
Amazon uses for the task at hand a drone called MK27-2. The small flying machine is capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kph), moving to delivery places that are located some nine miles (14 km) from the departure point while carrying packages that weigh as much as five pounds (2.3 kg).
The range of the drones was until now limited not solely by their capabilities, but by regulations as well. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) only lets drone operators fly their machines if a line of sight between human and machine can be maintained. That is at least until proper beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) technologies can be developed.
And that's exactly what Amazon claims to have done: it created a piece of tech that doesn't require humans to see the drone for them to control it.
The exact details on the technology and its capabilities have not been disclosed, but Amazon says it includes an onboard detect-and-avoid system that should allow the drones to keep out of harm's way, and not become a danger to people and property.
The company says it demoed the tech in front of FAA people, flying drones in the same airspace as real planes, helicopters, and even a hot air balloon. The overseers of all things aviation in the country seem to have been convinced, as they've cleared Amazon for BVLOS delivery flights.
What that means is that we're about to see a serious expansion of Amazon drone delivery services. The people in College Station, Texas, including the ones in more densely populated areas, will be the first to benefit from it, and later this year the service will be integrated in the Same-Day Delivery sites.
Probably knowing this was going to be the outcome of its efforts, Amazon started a while back working on a new kind of drone. Called MK30, it should come with significantly better capabilities than the current design.
The new aircraft is presently undergoing testing, but when ready it should be capable of flying in more diverse weather conditions, and should be capable of bringing packages to smaller backyards and in more densely populated areas.
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