Amazon has released a video showing off its new Amazon Prime Air delivery drone. The drone isn’t quite ready for prime time delivery, although Amazon did manage to get former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson to introduce their new toy.
Unlike its predecessor, the Prime Air a hybrid and appears larger in size. Set to fly at just under 400 feet, the drone can cover over 15 kilometers and fly at a speed of 55 km/h. The biggest difference happens to be the design of the drone, which incorporates more aerodynamic features. Presumably to increase its efficiency at moving through the air.
While delivering the packages the new drone will take advantage of Amazon’s “sense-and-avoid” technology, which allows it to detect an aerial obstacles and and avoid them. When it finally reaches the recipient’s location, the Prime Air will scan the area for a landing spot. We do not know how this works exactly, but it appears that customers will be able to signal the Prime Air with an Amazon logo. It isn’t quite clear on what happens if there is no clear landing zone.
According to Amazon, it is currently testing different designs and specifications of the Prime Air in order to meet its goal in delivering packages in different environments. Amazon also has several prototypes in its development lab, and claims that the designs “will evolve over time”.
[Source: Amazon]
