Amazon / Expanding Drone Delivery to the UK and Italy: 'Entering the European Drone Logistics Market' | |
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Amazon Expands Drone Delivery to the UK and Italy, 'Entering the European Drone Logistics Market' Can fly in rainy weather - replaced by small lightweight drone 'MK 30' 2024/02 Amazon will expand its 'Amazon Prime Air' delivery service to the UK and Italy this year, and plans to strengthen its drone logistics by replacing all existing drones with the new 'MK 30' by the end of this year. Amazon currently operates two dedicated drone fulfillment hubs in Rockford, California, and College Station, Texas, according to the Transportation Research Institute's Global Logistics Technology Trends report. Amazon first announced its drone delivery plans in 2013 and invested heavily in the program, but it has faced challenges such as complying with strict regulations from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As of May of last year, Amazon had made only 100 drone deliveries, far short of its original goal of 10,000. However, with the FAA recently relaxing some of its regulations, allowing for widespread drone delivery, Amazon is expanding its drone delivery program to other regions, with a goal of 500 million total deliveries within 10 years. Later this year, the company will begin drone deliveries in Europe, including the United Kingdom and Italy. Amazon explained that its expansion into the U.K. and Italy is not just about exploring the delivery market, but about implementing an advanced and sustainable service. "We have committed the time and resources necessary to ensure a safe and scalable service and have worked closely with regulators in the U.K., Italy, and the EU, as well as in the U.S., to ensure that drone logistics is safe and compliant with international laws and regulations," Amazon said. Drone logistics not only improves customer satisfaction and business profits by reducing delivery times and costs, but it also helps the environment by reducing carbon emissions. It also makes it easier to deliver food, medicine, and other goods to remote islands and disaster areas that are difficult to deliver by land. However, drones cannot be flown in severe weather conditions such as high winds, heat waves, and heavy rain. In addition, in the U.S., it is mandatory to obtain permission to use airspace after resolving signal interference, hacking, and noise, and even if permission is granted, the service is only available during the limited hours of 8 am to 3:30 pm. By the end of this year, Amazon plans to replace the existing drones with the MK 30, a new drone that can fly in rainy weather and is quieter. The MK 30 is smaller and lighter than the MK 27-2, and features a longer range, better temperature tolerance, and increased safety. It is also 25 percent quieter when flying or descending from hundreds of feet above the ground and can fly normally in light rain. Amazon says the MK 30 introduces a "detection and avoidance system" that allows it to operate at longer distances while safely and reliably avoiding other flying objects, humans, animals, and obstacles. Meanwhile, Amazon plans to further bolster its drone logistics by carrying more than 500 over-the-counter medications, including flu, pneumonia, and asthma. When a customer places an order on the website or mobile app, the drone arrives at the destination and slowly descends. It uses computer vision technology to detect moving objects, such as structures protruding from the ground or humans and animals, and checks to see if they interfere with the descent path, and if all is well, it drops the medicine box and climbs back up to return to its starting point. |