Amazon has commenced drone test flights from its Darlington fulfilment centre, ahead of the launch of air delivery service Prime Air in the UK later this year.
The Prime Air service promises to get packages, weighing up to five pounds, from the fulfilment facility to customers in less than two hours.
When the service launches, eligible Prime customers in the area will be able to opt-in to drone delivery and choose from thousands of everyday essentials, beauty items, and office and technology supplies.
The service will use Amazon’s new MK30 drones, which have been developed within the company.
Amazon said the drones use “sophisticated, industry-leading detect-and-avoid technology” that is capable of identifying and steering clear of obstacles such as clotheslines or trampolines that don’t appear on satellite maps. The tech ensures “the safety of people, pets, and property” it added.
The MK30s are “as quiet as an average van delivery” Amazon said.
“Keeping noise and perceived volume to a minimum was a critical priority for the drone development team, who experimented with various propeller designs to meet their goals,” it explained.
The drone has received Civil Aviation Authority approval to conduct operations.
The flights marked “an important milestone in bringing drone delivery to the UK” said David Carbon, VP of Prime Air.
“Our MK30 drones are designed to operate quietly and efficiently,” he added. “We look forward to demonstrating how this innovative technology can serve the people of Darlington while maintaining the highest safety standards,” he added.
Several companies in the sector have been trialling drone delivery. In March last year, Just Eat began trialling drone deliveries, with drone specialist Manna in Dublin. “This partnership is the latest in our continued commitment to finding and testing innovative ways of enabling everyday convenience and delivering best-in-class user experience,” said Jessica Hall, chief product officer at Just Eat Takeaway.com at the time.
Deliveroo in June launched a similar trial giving customers within a 3km radius of Blanchardstown near Dublin the opportunity to order from several participating local restaurants including Musashi, WowBurger, Boojum and Elephant & Castle, and have their food will be flown to them in as little as three minutes.
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