Elain Brown Tech 06.14.2022 05:Jun AM EDT

Amazon is Nearing the Public Launch of the First Prime Air Drone Deliveries

Amazon is in the final stages of launching its drone delivery services to its customers through Prime Air.

After a decade of working on this ambitious project, in the latter part of this year, the Prime Air delivery service will finally be piloted in Lockeford, California, which is located approximately 50 kilometers southeast of the center of Sacramento.

Amazon Prime Air Delivery

Amazon stated that in order to implement this feature, they are collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration and with the local government and community in Lockeford.

As reported by MSN, the e-commerce company stated that the 3,500 people living in the town of Lockeford, which is located in the more rural part of San Joaquin County, will be among the first to have their Amazon Prime packages delivered by drones.

Amazon has provided very few specifics, but they have stated in a press release that residents of Lockeford, which is close to Lodi, will have packages delivered to their backyards by the Prime Air drones. The company also provided some hints by stating that items will be delivered to customers in less than an hour in a way that is quick, cost-effective, and most importantly, safe.

Customers in Lockeford with an Amazon Prime membership will be able to view eligible items for Prime Air shipping on Amazon and will proceed to place their orders as usual. During the rollout, when customers order, they will be provided with both an estimated arrival time as well as a status update regarding their order delivery with Prime Air.

The customer's backyard will be reached by the drone as it makes its way to the delivery location, where it will then hover at an appropriate height. After that, it will carefully unload the package before returning to its previous height.

What Makes Prime Air Different?

Amazon believes that the ability of its drones to sense and avoid aircraft and other obstacles is what sets them apart from competitors who are also attempting to break into the market for drone deliveries.

According to Amazon, the company has "created a sophisticated and industry-leading sense-and-avoid system that will enable operations without visual observers and allow our drone to operate at greater distances while safely and reliably avoiding other aircraft, people, pets, and obstacles."

Amazon Prime Air has a sense-and-avoid system that was designed with two primary use cases in mind: first, to ensure safety while in transit, and second, to ensure safety while getting closer to the ground. When flying to the location where the package will be delivered, the drones need to be able to recognize both stationary and moving obstructions.

When it comes to object detection, Prime Air's algorithms make use of a wide variety of different technologies. With the help of this system, it is able to detect moving objects on the horizon, such as other aircraft, even in conditions where it is difficult for people to see them.

The drones are also equipped to make course corrections on their own in the event that they detect any potential hazards and will do so automatically. The company also revealed that since starting its Amazon Prime Air endeavors, their team has developed, constructed, and evaluated a large number of drones, over twenty prototypes at this point.