Amazon testing unmanned drones for parcel delivery
Online retail giant Amazon is testing unmanned drones for the delivery of customer purchases in the US.
Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos revealed on the CBS news programme 60 Minutes yesterday that the drones could deliver packages that weigh up to 2.3kg. He said the ‘Octocopters’ could pick up packages from Amazon’s distribution centre, fly unmanned through the air for a maximum of ten miles, and deliver the packages to customers’ homes within as little as 30 minutes.
“I know this looks like science fiction, but it’s not,” Bezos told 60 Minutes.
Bezos said the service, which will be called Amazon Prime Air, would probably not be able to start for another four to five years pending approval by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Last month, Amazon announced that it was to begin delivering packages to its US customers via the US postal service on Sundays as it looks to make delivery quicker and more convenient for shoppers.
