Online retailer Amazon plans to start drone deliveries this year. Under the name Prime Air, the company will start field tests in the Californian town of Lockeford.
“Later this year, residents will be able to sign up to receive free drone deliveries, offering thousands of everyday products to choose from,” Amazon said in a press release, without giving details about the date. The online store is still waiting for the green light from the authorities.
The packages, which can weigh up to 2.3 kilograms, will then be delivered to the garden. The intention is to roll out drone deliveries on a large scale after a positive pilot project.
Amazon says it built a dozen prototypes before it came to a drone that can identify and avoid obstacles, both static and moving, from chimneys to pets.
In late May, US retail giant Walmart already announced an expansion of its drone delivery service, aiming to make it available in 34 US locations by the end of the year. The drones will be operational in six states (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia) with the ability to reach up to four million homes and guarantee more than one million deliveries per year.
