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.

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