Amazon.com has been toying with same day delivery for years and the company, based in Seattle, is testing drones to speed up delivery.
In case you don’t watch the news a drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle also known as UAVS. The drone aircraft is either controlled by a pilot on the ground and out of harm’s way or pre-programed to follow a mission.
Amazon is calling their drones Prime Air. These drone delivery machines were developed in the company’s next generation R&D lab. According, to Amazon, the goal of this new delivery system is to get packages into customers’ hands in 30 minutes or less.
Now don’t get alarmed just yet, you will not see Amazon Prime Air drones zipping by your door this Christmas. Amazon said it will take some years before it is put into commercial use. Oh they also need to pass FAA rules and regulations.
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Amazon developed a Q&A about is PrimeAir drones:
Question: Is this science fiction or is this real?
Answer: It looks like science fiction, but it’s real. From a technology point of view, we’ll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Q: One day we’ll see a fleet of Prime Air vehicles in the sky?
A: Yes. One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today.
Q: When will I be able to choose Prime Air as a delivery option?
A: We hope the FAA’s rules will be in place as early as sometime in 2015. We will be ready at that time.
Q: How are you going to ensure public safety?
A: The FAA is actively working on rules and an approach for unmanned aerial vehicles that will prioritize public safety. Safety will be our top priority, and our vehicles will be built with multiple redundancies and designed to commercial aviation standards.
You can also check out the video on this site by clicking here.
Many, many quick hits before I go. And, all of them are IAMCP Canada related. I was pumped to hear that long time CDN reader Peter Mackenzie from EnvisionIt was elected by the Executive Board members to take over the reins as the new IAMCP Canada president for a two year term. CDN congratulates Peter and he will do an outstanding job in this role.
Mackenzie’s appointment was not the only IAMCP Canada news. They have a new board and its made up of Eran Barlev of Sela Canada, Alex Chan of CMS Consulting Inc., Chris Healing of Zylog Systems, Josef Hans Lara of DTM Systems Corp., Jason Lavigne of Black & White Logic Inc. and Anthony Sheehan of Macadamian.
The extraordinary talents Susie Ibbotson of Navantis and Gail Mercer-MacKay of Mercer MacKay Solutions will remain board members as will Tabitha Creighton as Western Regional Chapter president.
Aline Desjardins of Acceo Solutions has taken over as the Eastern Region Chapter president for IAMCP Canada.
If I’m not mistaken, the drones will be in the US first, there is a distance limitation from the distribution center and a size limitation [no kayaks].
It looks like my barbeque sprouted propellers and flew off with my cooler.