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Amazon.com will be testing the delivery of parcels using small drones in the U.K. in a deal with the government that will allow it to try out new modes of operation such as beyond line of sight flights.
The online retailer, which announced in December 2013 that it planned to use drones for the delivery of parcels, has been stymied by regulations in the U.S., where its futuristic Prime Air delivery system has yet to take off.
[...] The deal with a cross-government team backed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will give the company far more flexibility, allowing it to test beyond line of sight operations in rural and suburban areas. Amazon will also work on sensors that will ensure that drones can identify and avoid obstacles, and test flights where a single-person can operate multiple highly-automated drones, Amazon said Monday.
[...] Amazon has previously warned that regulations in the U.S. would drive more of its research and development on drones to other countries. It is already testing drones in the U.K., Canada and the Netherlands.
With the new agreement, it would appear that the U.K. may get delivery by drones faster than the U.S. The tests by Amazon will guide policy and future approach in the area, CAA said.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday July 27 2016, @05:27PM
Once they realise the amount of liability coverage they need to put in the books, they'll casually announce that it's "30 years away".
Flying stuff around sounds easy until you realise that you need to authenticate and avoid other things around you, but also make sure your landing spot is clear.
At a few hundred feet, the flying part isn't overly complicated, but I won't be surprised when the power line behind your house is being identified as a hose on the ground, or other similarly troublesome machine vision oops.
I'm guessing they'll have to keep some phases of flight under human control for a little while longer.