Amazon
On Thursday, Amazon announced the MK30, its next-generation delivery drone, which claims a longer range, expanded temp tolerance, and the ability to fly in slow rain. The MK30 is scheduled to enter service in 2024, according to a blog post by the company.
With the launch of Prime Air in 2013, the company launched its drone delivery concept. Drones delivering products weighing up to 5 pounds to homes in less than half an hour seemed too wonderful to be true at the time. Amazon’s promises, on the other hand, were not science fiction. The company’s current fleet of delivery drones flies 400 feet above the ground at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, carrying products weighing up to 5 pounds over a nine-mile range.
Customers who live in Lockeford, California, & College Station, Texas, will have priority for Prime Air deliveries later this year, according to an announcement made by Amazon earlier this year.
Custom-designed propellers to eliminate noise
Residents had previously expressed worries about drone noise, in addition to safety and privacy concerns. Amazon stated that their team has been working on decreasing the noise character of its drones with this in mind. According to the statement, Prime Air’s Flight Science team has now built new custom-designed propellers that will reduce the perceived noise of the MK30 by another 25%.
According to Amazon, they have developed a “sophisticated and industry-leading sense-and-avoid system that will enable our drones to operate at larger distances while safely and reliably avoiding other aircraft, people, pets, & obstacles.” However, because it is difficult to eliminate all risks associated with flying, they have employed a “proven” aerospace method to designing safety into their drones.
As always, “our newest drone will be subjected to thorough evaluation by national aerospace authorities such as the Federal Aviation Administration to demonstrate its safety and reliability,” according to the announcement.
Sophisticated drone technology systems and a new robotic system
That’s not it.
The newest robotic system in Amazon’s warehouses, called Sparrow, was also shown on Thursday. Sparrow is capable of “detecting, selecting, and handling individual products in our inventory.
Over five billion parcels were collected, stored, or packed by Amazon employees last year, or more than 13 million packages every day. Thanks to computer vision and artificial intelligence, Sparrow can now identify and manage millions of items.
The Verge reports that all of this is happening as Amazon’s devices division experiences operating losses in the billions of dollars. In an effort to reduce expenses, the business may slow down the development of new capabilities for its Alexa AI assistant. Amazon is presently focusing on cost optimization.
The business is currently enthusiastic about its drone technology solutions. Drones are the most successful way to transport a wide variety of things at scale in under an hour, and eventually under 30 minutes, they claimed. The expansion of this service to more consumers in the upcoming months and years has us enthusiastic about the Prime Air program’s next phase.
