Amazon wants to begin flying certain products to consumers later this year, the e-commerce giant announced Monday, marking the launch of drone delivery in a California town.
Walmart currently offers drone delivery and announced in May that it is significantly expanding the service, with the ability to drop down one million parcels each year in six states by the end of the year.
Amazon customers in Lockeford, California, will be able to sign up for free delivery by "Prime Air" drones, the firm announced in a blog post.
According to Amazon, "air-eligible" products bought from the retailer's website will be put onto drones that will fly to delivery locations, dump parcels outside from safe heights, and then fly away.
According to an Amazon spokeswoman, the drones can transport items weighing up to 2.2 kilos in packaging the size of a big shoe box.
According to the spokesman, commodities allowed for drone delivery would include domestic goods, cosmetic products, workplace supplies, and technology.
According to Amazon, it has developed a sophisticated technology that allows its drones to recognize and avoid airplanes, people, pets, and other impediments.
"We created our sense-and-avoid technology for two key scenarios: safety in transit and safety as we approach the ground," the business explained.
The feedback from the California operations will be utilized to extend the drone service.
Autonomous drone delivery is being worked on by a range of enterprises, ranging from small startups to established tech corporations such as Google parent Alphabet.
According to the company's website, Alphabet's Project Wing performed its first real-world drone deliveries in rural Australia in 2014, successfully transporting first-aid kits, candy bars, dog treats, and water to farmers.
Wing drones were used to carry burritos to students at a Virginia university two years later.
"The logistics sector is buzzing with all-things drones," according to the Amazon team.