AccordingtothepatentapplicationpublishedbytheU.S.PatentOffice,AmazonplanstousetheGlobalPositioningSystem,orGPS,notonlyfordeliveriestohomesaroundthecountry,butdirectlytopurchasers,wherevertheymaybe.
Focusingonthelocationofthecustomer'smobiledevice,usuallyasmartphone,thedronewillbeabletoavoidbothlivingthingsandinanimateobstacles,identifyareassafeforlandinganddeliverthepackagewithin30minutes.
Forsecurityreasons,theFederalAviationAdministrationrequiresthedronesinthisexperimentaltestperiodtoremainwithinsightoftheiroperators,whichseverelylimitstheirreach.
Amazonisworkingonsolutions,saysLorettaAlkalay,fromVaughnCollegeofAeronauticsandTechnologyinNewYork,speakingbySkype.
“Ithinkthattheyaregoingtoworkonthoseinparallelwithadvancingthenewtechnology.SoIdon'tseethesecurityproblemsasbeingsomethingthatshouldstopthetechnology."
Amazonisstillnotadvertisingthedronedeliveries,butAlkalayisoptimisticthattheywillhappen.
“Idothinkthatinthereasonablyforeseeablefuturetheyaregoingtostartdoingdeliveries.Wehavealreadyseendeliveriesbeingdoneindisasterareasandremoteareas.Ithinkthereisahugedemandforthattypeofdelivery."
Therearestillanumberofconcernsregardingpossiblecollisionswithvariousobjects,aswellasvandalismandtheftofthedronesandgoods,butAlkalaysaysthemediahasassumed-incorrectly-thatdeliverieswouldbemadetopeople'sfrontdoors.
“Ifyouthinkofadronedeliveryperhapstoyourrooftop,thenyou'llhaveanopportunitytoseparatethepedestrianandvehiculartraffic,andatthesametimeseparateitfromairtraffic."
AlkalaysayseventhoughAmericanhomesarenotsetupforrooftopdeliveries,itispossiblethatfuturehomeswillhavespecialplatformsforairdeliveriesofsmallmerchandise.
