Not Science Fiction: Amazon Is Working on a Drone-Powered Delivery SystemUnmanned drones could someday deliver packages within a 10-mile radius.
ByJason Fell•
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Like a swarm of bees,Amazon-powereddronescould fill the skies in your neighborhood someday soon. The mission: to deliver your online orders within 30 minutes or less via unmanned drones.
The e-retailing giant is calling the new programAmazon Prime Air. Guided by a GPS system, the drones are expected tocarry packagesweighing up to 5 pounds and travel within a 10-mile radius.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced the initiative last night on the CBS program60 Minutes. "I know this looks like science fiction, it's not," Bezos said.
But don't expect to see these drones buzzing overhead any time in the near future. "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," Amazon says.
Though, that could be as early as 2015, the company says.
