Amazon Prime Air has made its first demo delivery in the United States, giving us a glimpse of what’s to come from Amazon’s drone delivery project.
Attendees at the MARS conference in Palm Springs, California watched on as a Prime Air craft delivered a hamper of sunscreen to attendees at the conference.
Even though the order was set up beforehand, the delivery was completely autonomous and, considering it was done “with the assistance of the FAA”, represents a significant step forward.
Related: DJI Mavic Pro review
Amazon Prime Air vice president Gur Kimchi told The Verge that the demo brings the company “one step closer to making 30-minute package delivery by drone a reality.”
Over the pond in the UK, Amazon has been trialling its drone technology for some time, with its secret drone delivery research lab based in Cambridge.
The first ever Prime Air delivery was made in the city back in December as part of a ‘private trial’ that is very much in the same category as this latest delivery in the states.
One part of the puzzle yet to be solved is the best way for drones to be handled on the regulatory side of things.
Autonomous drone delivery remains on the banned list in the US, and even in the UK, where things are a little further along, there’s still no air traffic control system for low-altitude craft like Amazon Prime Air drones.
Watch: Amazon Echo tips and tricks
Any thoughts on Amazon’s Prime Air service? Let us know in the comments below.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
