Amazon initiated the Prime Air project, which will enable delivery of orders using drones in the states of California and Texas, already approved by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). The pilot was announced in June and is expected to begin in the Lockeford area of San Joaquin County, California, reaching approximately 3,500 residents.
The company also added College Station, a mid-sized city in East Texas, to the pilot. According to reports, Amazon started delivering orders by drones in these two areas even before Christmas. But to guarantee the service, you need to sign up manually. Packages of up to 2.2 kg are suitable for this type of delivery.. Customers will be able to track delivery tracking, which can take about an hour.
After completing and paying for the order, the drone flies to the designated location and descends to the customer’s backyard. He hovers at a certain height and releases the package to the ground. It then takes off again and heads back to Amazon’s drone depot. The process is carried out autonomously using algorithms (and combining human monitoring) to avoid obstacles such as power lines.
The service currently runs daytime operations up to five days a week and can handle up to 50 delivery flights per day. However, the idea is to expand the operation. From 2024, Amazon should use the MK30 drone for greater distances. He currently uses MK27-2 hex drones with six propellers.
