What are the chances of that future Prime Air delivery smashing into the side of someone’s house? Not high, it seems, as Amazon has announced that it has successfully developed a new drone that features some big improvements over the previous model, including what appears to be advanced safety features. The MK30, as it’s called, is not only capable of flying in light rain and delivering packages of up to 5 pounds in under an hour, but it also sports what Amazon says is industry-leading “sense and avoid” technology, allowing them to avoid obstacles. Those would include not only property, but also people and pets, which sounds especially great for a company that presumably doesn’t want to get sued. Amazon plans to launch ultra-fast drone deliveries in Italy, the UK, and a third location in the U.S. in 2024, while those in College Station, Texas, can get prescription medications delivered in 60 minutes or less via drone beginning today.
By the end of 2024, these new drones will replace the drones currently used to deliver in the U.S. They will also be deployed in a new, third U.S. state and in soon-to-be-revealed destinations in Italy and the UK.
The drone uses industry-leading “sense and avoid” technology that allows them to detect and avoid obstacles including people, pets, and property.
Innovative safety-critical features will allow this drone to deliver packages to customers with smaller backyards and in more densely populated suburban areas.
The MK30 is quieter than previous models. Prime Air’s Flight Science team custom designed the propellers to reduce the MK30’s perceived noise by almost half. Even as the drone is descending, its sound is still quieter than the range of sounds you’ll generally hear in a neighborhood.
It also features improved range to serve more customers: It can now fly twice as far as previous models.
