ANNIE PALMER
6 June 2019
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Amazon says its new self-driving delivery drone will be ready to ferry packages ‘in a matter of months’ as it unveils ‘Shazam for clothes’ search tool and new Alexa features
The drones are fully electric, can fly up to 15 miles and even carry 5lb packages
Drones use computer vision and machine learning to avoid crashing into people
Amazon’s next-generation autonomous delivery drone could soon show up in your backyard.
The e-commerce giant announced at its inaugural re:MARS conference in Las Vegas that it plans to use self-driving drones to deliver packages to shoppers’ homes in the coming months.
It didn’t give an exact timeline or say where the drones will be making deliveries.
But Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s CEO of worldwide consumer, said the opportunity for drone delivery is ‘tremendous,’ as it presents an opening for the company to accelerate its already speedy delivery process, which has since expanded to include next-day and same-day delivery.
The announcement came as Amazon also unveiled a slew of other updates, including ‘StyleSnap,’ which is being billed as a Shazam for clothes.
Amazon also showed off new capabilities for Alexa, its AI-powered digital assistant.
Scroll down for video
The new drones use computer vision and machine learning to detect and avoid people or laundry clotheslines in backyards when landing.
‘From paragliders to power lines to a corgi in the backyard, the brain of the drone has safety covered,’ said Jeff Wilke, who oversees Amazon’s retail business.
Amazon says it’s ‘pioneering autonomous drone delivery technology.’
Unlike previous versions, Amazon’s redesigned drone acts similar to a helicopter, in that it’s capable of vertical takeoffs and landings.
It can just as easily transition back to airplane mode, during which it maintains forward flight.
‘Our newest drone design includes advances in efficiency, stability and, most importantly, in safety,’ Wilke said in a blog post announcing the drone.
‘It is also unique, and it advances the state of the art,’ he added.
Wilke said the drones are fully electric, can fly up to 15 miles and carry packages that weigh up to five pounds.
Amazon has been working on drone delivery for years.
Back in December 2013, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos told the “60 Minutes” news show that drones would be flying to customer’s homes within five years.
But that deadline passed due to regulatory hurdles.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates commercial use of drones in the U.S., did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
In April, a subsidiary of search giant Google won approval from the FAA to make drone deliveries in parts of Virginia.
Subscribe to our free mailing list and always be the first to receive the latest news and updates.