Amazon To Start UsingDrones To Deliver Goods ToCustomers

Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, is

testing unmanned drones to deliver goods to

customers, Chief Executive Jeff Bezos says.

The drones, called Octocopters, could deliver

packages weighing up to 2.3kg to customers

within 30 minutes of them placing the order, he

said.



However, he added that it could take up to five

years for the service to start.

The US Federal Aviation Administration is yet to

approve the use of unmanned drones for civilian

purposes.

"I know this looks like science fiction, but it's

not," Mr Bezos told CBS television's 60 Minutes

programme.

"We can do half-hour delivery... and we can carry

objects, we think, up to five pounds (2.3kg),

which covers 86% of the items that we deliver."

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"Start Quote

From a technology point of view, we'll be

ready to enter commercial operations as

soon as the necessary regulations are in

place"

Amazon



The service will be called Prime Air and comes as

Amazon is looking to improve its efficiency to

boost growth.



Amazon also posted a video on its

website showing a drone picking up a package

from one of its warehouses and delivering it to

the doorstep of a customer's house.

However, it still has to wait for permission from

US regulators.



The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has

approved the use of drones for police and

government agencies, issuing about 1,400

permits over the past several years.

Civilian air space is expected to be opened up to

all kinds of drones in the US by 2015 and in

Europe by 2016.



Existing regulations are in place to minimise the

risk of injury to people on the ground, said Dr

Darren Ansell, an expert on unmanned aerial

vehicles (UAV) from the University of Central

Lancashire.



"The UAVs do not currently have the awareness

of their environment to be able to avoid flying

into people. To deliver goods to people's homes

for example in residential areas, the UAVs must

overfly densely populated towns and cities,

something that today's regulations prevent.

"Other things to consider are security of the

goods during the transit. With no one to guard

them the aircraft and package could be captured

and stolen," he said.



Amazon said: "from a technology point of view,

we'll be ready to enter commercial operations as

soon as the necessary regulations are in place."

The FAA was "actively working on rules for

unmanned aerial vehicles", the company said,

adding that it hoped the green light would be

given as early as 2015.

"One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as

seeing mail trucks on the road today."



Zookal, an Australian textbook rental company,

announced earlier this year that it would start

using drones to make deliveries from 2015 if

approved by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety

Authority.

Australian law allows the use of unmanned

aircraft for commercial use.