Are Amazon’s Drones Finally Ready for Prime Time?
Over the past few weeks, curious New Jersey residents have been looking up to the sky, trying to figure out the origins of mysterious drones overhead.
Meanwhile, just outside Phoenix, Amazon is working hard to convince people that the 80-pound drones buzzing over their homes are not only harmless but represent the future of online shopping.
You might recall that Amazon first showcased the idea of drone delivery more than a decade ago. Back then, Jeff Bezos made an appearance on “60 Minutes” to announce the start of Prime Air. The company hoped this experimental drone delivery service would eventually deliver millions of packages to customers in less than 30 minutes.
For regular Amazon users, the idea was particularly appealing. Need a phone charger in a hurry? Forget your toothpaste on a work trip? Amazon promised that an autonomous drone could deliver these items in record time, far quicker than a trip to the store.
That vision hasn’t materialized yet. Jeff Bezos is now focused on space travel. But Amazon hasn’t abandoned drones. Recently, I was invited along with my “Hard Fork” co-host, Casey Newton, to tour the facility where Amazon just launched the newest version of Prime Air and see its new drones in action.
Our tour was somewhat strangely timed – right in the middle of a national concern over the drones hovering over New Jersey. (Amazon officials say the mystery drones aren’t theirs. Federal officials said this week that most of the reported sightings were piloted planes and hobby drones, though some remain unexplained.)
