In something that will have a lot of hurdles to clear before it becomes a reality, Amazon.com has announced Prime Air, a new delivery system designed to get a package to you in 30 minutes or less by using unmanned “aerial vehicles.” You can see the aerial vehicle in action with this test video:
You can read more about Prime Air over on Amazon’s website, where they admit, “Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as we advance the technology and wait for the necessary FAA rules and regulations.”
Naturally, there are some questions to go along with this announcement, which they answered:
Q: Is this science fiction or is this real?
A: It looks like science fiction, but it’s real. From a technology point of view, we’ll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Q: One day we’ll see a fleet of Prime Air vehicles in the sky?
A: Yes. One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today.
Q: When will I be able to choose Prime Air as a delivery option?
A: We hope the FAA’s rules will be in place as early as sometime in 2015. We will be ready at that time.
Q: How are you going to ensure public safety?
A: The FAA is actively working on rules and an approach for unmanned aerial vehicles that will prioritize public safety. Safety will be our top priority, and our vehicles will be built with multiple redundancies and designed to commercial aviation standards.
What are your thoughts about Prime Air? Let us know in the comments below.
