Amazon drones delivers packages across California town
LOCKEFORD, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - You may have seen something similar to drones flying around in the sky, but Amazon’s delivery drones are taking it to another level.
Lockeford is just one of two locations in the world that are making Amazon drone deliveries from the air.
A package is normally delivered by car, but now, customers are getting their packages in their hands through the air.
"Maybe you ran out of shampoo and you needed to wash your hair that day," said Carina Borra, a Lockeford resident.
It starts at an Amazon shipping facility. With anything you could find in a drugstore, from grocery to beauty to health items, these 80 pound drones can carry an item that’s up to five pounds, soaring through the sky at a speed of up to 60 miles per hour.
Making deliveries within 30-to-60 minutes
People like Chris Saelustro says Amazon Prime already delivers in the same day.
"I don't know why they need a drone. How much faster can you get something?" Saelustro remarked.
But Prime Air Prides itself in making deliveries within 60 minutes, sometimes even 30.
"That’s quicker than most of Instacart," Borra shared.
"Customers are able to place this in their yard at their convenience to make sure the delivery happens at the right spot," said Erik Garcia Robertson, Amazon site leader for commerical operations.
The electrically-powered drones fly on their own, so how does it safely avoid obstacles? Prime Air says the drones use sense and avoid technology.
"We are always assessing the areas in the environment. Anything from trees to power lines," Robertson explained.
Never having any crashes or incidents
Crashes have happened inside its closed, private facility while running tests over the years, but Prime Air says it has never had any crashes or incidents during customer flights.
Amazon is flying into the future of greener deliveries by drone.
"It’s really great for us folks out in the rural area who will take us 20 minutes to go into town, so your time and fuel is put into perspective," Borra reasoned.
Prime Air also works closely with the Federal Aviation Administartion (FAA) to determine which areas are safe and secure to fly.
