A drone delivering a purchase to your home certainly sounds like the stuff of dystopian, futuristic movies. But we should no longer understand it that way, because it has become something real. In fact, it has been this way for years, although mainly in the form of a test in many countries. But now we will be very close to becoming something real. And Amazon will very soon start delivering packages with drones, near us. In two European countries they will have the opportunity to enjoy this strange way of delivery.

Amazon has officially announced

It was the same store that announced on its social networks that its drones will officially fly from the skies of Europe. Specifically, they have shown an exciting image of their delivery drone and their immediate plans to expand across Europe. And at the end of next year 2024 we will see that drone delivering packages, both in the UK and in Italy. They will also deliver to three locations in the United States.

Therefore, this delivery method will not be just a future gamble, but will see real use in real locations in just over a year. The drone that will be used for these deliveries will be the MK30, a newly released model that we understand already has all the necessary approvals to start making these deliveries. Along with its image, Amazon has detailed some important aspects of this drone.

As it will use cutting-edge technology to detect obstacles, it will avoid unexpected collisions with objects or buildings that may be in its path. It will be much quieter; Amazon claims it makes half the noise of its predecessor. In addition, it can transport objects of more than 2 kilos, so the shipment can receive thousands of references from the store catalog.

This drone will be able to make deliveries even in bad weather, such as light rain. Of course, if the weather gets worse and it rains more, other alternatives will have to be chosen. Logically, we understand that at the moment deliveries will be made in open spaces, to houses in rural or remote areas, where there are not so many obstacles around the houses and it is easier to make deliveries.

However, this is just the beginning of a way of making deliveries that will surely grow in the future and end up being as common as seeing the van arriving at our house. However, there will be several factors along the way that must be taken into account and avoided, such as the actions of people who appropriate other people's things and other conflicts that may arise, such as the accidental fall of these objects on pedestrians or houses. We understand that, after so many years of testing, all of this has already been overcome.

In December last year, Amazon formally launched deliveries through its Prime Air drone program. At first glance, it looked like the realization of a plan that had taken a decade of development and had been in the eye of the storm more than once. However, their initial results were far from impressive, with packages delivered to less than 10 homes in the first few weeks of operation. And the restrictions imposed by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would have a lot to do with it.

The tentative start to Amazon drone activity was revealed by The Information, citing people associated with the project. While it's true that Prime Air has only been launched in two cities in the United States - Lockeford (California) and College Station (Texas) - FAA guidelines would prevent air deliveries from reaching a larger number of homes, even in cities where the service is enabled.

Amazon has already asked for greater freedoms for Prime Air drone flights, but North American authorities are not ready to give in easily. And some of the requirements are so strict that it is even ridiculous that the company led by Andy Jassy agreed to start commercial operations under such conditions.

For starters, in both California and Texas, Amazon Prime Air drones can't deliver to homes more than 4 miles from their takeoff sites. But completing your route in compliance with FAA regulations is a headache.

How it will work

By clicking the buy button, they will be given an estimated delivery time, along with the option to track the drone as it travels to its destination. Package delivery is expected to be easy: the drone descends, the package will drop to the ground and the customer will pick it up.

Regarding the improvement of these drones, Amazon states "a sophisticated detection and escape system, which is a pioneer in the sector, which will allow our drone to operate without an observer and to operate at greater distances, avoiding other aircraft, people, pets and obstacles with reverence and trust."

What less after 10 years of waiting. The company says it went through more than two dozen prototypes of its delivery drone until it settled on six rotors and a protective outer frame.

The final decision, once again, on whether the drone delivery system can be put into operation rests with the Federal Aviation Administration, which must be satisfied with the safety of the platform.