Amazon Reveals Its Latest Delivery Drone Design
Amazon claims the deliveries will begin in the next few months with a new drone that combines the behavior of a plane with that of a helicopter.
According to CNN, Amazon claims the deliveries will begin in the next few months with a new drone it built that combines the behavior of a plane with that of a helicopter.
The company unveiled its latest Prime Air electric delivery drone on Wednesday at its re:Mars artificial intelligence conference in Las Vegas. The drone has a central compartment for carrying goods and a hexagonal shrouding that acts as its wings, while also protecting (and shielding people from) a series of rotors.
Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s CEO of worldwide consumer, said at the event that the drones will be able to deliver packages that weigh less than five pounds over distances of up to 15 miles in less than half an hour. It can move around in 3D space, which is more than a typical quadcopter, and it’s designed to be quiet so people may not hear it coming.
“We’re not saying all our shipments will be on drones, but the opportunity is tremendous,” Wilke said.
Wilke said Amazon’s latest drone uses visual, thermal, and ultrasonic sensors — as well as machine-learning algorithms — to figure out what nearby objects it may want to avoid. In the air, he said, the drone needs to be able to identify moving and static objects from any direction, whether it’s a paraglider in the distance or a chimney on a house below.
More Amazon news
Consumers feel guilty after shopping on Amazon, but keep coming back
Amazon reputation takes a plunge Amazon is dealing with a tsunami of online buying and shipping since the pandemic lockdown started and it continues to grow. Fulfillment centers are overloaded, causing shipments losses and delivery delays. Amazon has added more than...
Amazon bans Chinese sellers with $1 billion revenue
Several top Chinese sellers have disappeared from Amazon Amazon has blocked over a dozen Chinese sellers for alleged “suspicious behaviour”, including two of the biggest electronics Amazon-native brands out of China. The total sales by the suspended sellers exceeds...
Amazon will let sellers contact customers directly
Amazon is loosening its grip on customers Amazon is testing a new feature for sellers that will let them contact customers directly by email to notify them of things like new product announcements or sales. It’s a major change from Amazon’s current policy, which is to...
