Amazon Drone Delivers Popcorn And Fire TV To Its First Customer
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In 2013, Jeff Bezos, the CEO and founder of Amazon Inc., made headlines when he proclaimed that within a few years, the company would deploy unmanned drones to deliver packages within 30 minutes after an order was placed. Since Amazon Prime Air was unveiled the night before “Cyber Monday,” skeptics dismissed it as a publicity stunt designed to draw attention to the company. It turns out they were wrong.
On December 7, 2016, Amazon revealed that it had completed its first Prime Air delivery in Cambridge, UK. The package, containing a bag of popcorn and an Amazon Fire TV, were loaded on to the unmanned vehicle from a local fulfillment center and delivered to a two-story farmhouse several miles away – all within 13 minutes after the items were bought!
The company also announced that the service is now available within the five-square-mile radius of the Cambridge area, seven days a week during daylight hours. The sparsely populated rural area, with few dozen residents scattered amidst vast swaths of farmland and fields, is perfect for testing the drones.
Unfortunately, even if the trial is wildly successful, many challenges still remain before drone delivery becomes a reality for most of us. While the octocopters may do fine in rural areas, they remain untested in crowded urban cities where they would encounter obstacles like buildings or trees. There is also fear that the autonomous flying vehicles could injure people as they descend to drop their packages. The drones and their cargo are also susceptible to being taken down by vandals.
Then there are the delivery logistics. Amazon will not only have to ensure that every Prime Air customer has a special landing pad, but also come up with a feasible solution for apartment dwellers who do not have access to an open space where the drone can land. Hence, while Amazon Prime Air may someday be a reality, for now, we will just have to wait for two “long” days to receive our packages!
Resources: Amazon.com, endgadget.com
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493 Comments
- broover 7 yearslooks good
- zqawsxedcrfvtbyover 7 yearswhat if you lived in a other country would you not get the drone service?
williaml8868almost 6 yearsprobably there would be bases there too
- iouiytyrytjt;oiover 7 yearsMe want air delivery! Me want!
- TheKiwianalmost 8 yearsCool! I'd like a huge packet of popcorn and a movie in the next 30 minutes!
- xbox onealmost 8 yearscool
- Elizabethalmost 8 yearsI think it would be remarkable to receive delivery in minutes, or even hours, after placing an Amazon order. I already do most of my shopping online. I do see that there would need to be a study in logistics to be able to carry this type of delivery through to all destinations.
- KBryalmost 8 yearsThe idea of immediate delivery after purchasing items from Amazon is amazing! Some people are hesitant to shop online because of the waiting period but if their purchase could be delivered in a few hours or even MINUTES, then I think more people would choose to shop online rather than going to different store trying to find the same exact item. I am an avid amazon prime member for the 2 day shipping. It has proven very useful when we brought a baby home and needed something. It was a lot easier than going out with a newborn, but if I could use it to order and receive things in the same day I would shop online for everything!!
- JJoealmost 8 yearsthat is awesome This is very futuristic oh you are right never thought about that Amazon has really come a long way! cool but what would happen if it is raining since it drops package outside I have a terable drone I couldn´t fly it. It is very cool I won't popcorn and a 📺 Tv
- Hialmost 8 yearsThat is awesome but can it deliver bigger stuff like a big TV or heavy stuff?
- kameronalmost 8 yearsthat is awesome
