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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Amazon has released video of its new Amazon Prime Air delivery drone prototype [amazon.com]. The video, narrated by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, depicts an octocopter rising vertically to 400 feet before switching on the rear propeller. Amazon claims that it has a range of up to 15 miles. From the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post [washingtonpost.com]:

The video shows the drone switching into "landing mode" and descending onto a "delivery zone" in the customer's backyard. The drone releases the package onto what looks like a sheet of plastic with an Amazon logo. The larger the yard and the less tree cover, the easier the landing will be.

[...] Amazon says its drone has "sophisticated 'sense and avoid' technology," which will be essential for those backyard landings. Everyone from big tech companies such as Amazon to start-ups is developing this technology, so that drones can identify obstacles and automatically avoid them. For example, with sense and avoid, a drone would realize a dog had strayed into its landing zone, and not land until the coast was clear. Because this prototype has nine propellers it will still function even if multiple motors fail.

One section of the video, which Amazon notes is actual flight footage, shows the drone flying between 55-58 mph. That speed will come in handy if Amazon is going to deliver on its promise of getting packages to customers in 30 minutes.

Amazon isn't saying how much this prototype weighs, only that its drones weigh less than 55 pounds. And it's not sharing the prototype's wingspan. If you look at the photo below and remember that blue box is actually a shoe box, it's obvious the drone is far larger than the consumer drones we see most frequently, such as the DJI Phantom and Parrot Bebop.

News, or ploy to increase "Cyber Monday" and Christmas season sales?

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