Amazon has made just 10 drone deliveries since it launched the program a month ago
Amazon has made just 10 drone deliveries since it launched the program a month ago.
The e-commerce giant’s first report clearly shows that the experiment is not going well. Maybe it’s the fault of the limits imposed by the FAA.
In some US cities, Amazon has begun offering drone deliveries. This is clearly a pilot program, waiting to be able to offer this service on a national scale. The tests help the company figure out how to improve its technology before drone deliveries can really catch on.
The test started a month ago, exclusively in Lockeford and College Station, two small towns in California and Texas, respectively.
In one month, Amazon managed to make only 10 drone deliveries
The e-commerce giant’s first report clearly shows that the experiment is not going well. In one month, Amazon managed to make just 10 drone deliveries. A decidedly low number, even for an experimental pilot program.
One of the problems could depend on the type of license provided by the FAA – the body that regulates aviation – to Amazon. Amazon’s delivery drones are explicitly prohibited from autonomously flying over roads when vehicles are present. In short, every time drones have to cross a road, an operator must supervise the operation and make sure that the road is free from cars and other vehicles. This limit will almost certainly disappear in the future.
