It’s no secret that Amazon is seriously considering using drones to deliver packages across short distances, and now the company has taken a clearer step towards reaching the goal.
The company today unveiled a proposal to designate a portion of the airspace above suburbs and cities for drone delivery.
The proposal suggests high-speed drones be limited to an area covering a height of 200 to 400 feet off the ground. Another 100-foot area above this corridor would be designated as a no-fly zone to act as a buffer against other traditional aircraft.
Meanwhile – the area between the ground and the high-speed drone airspace would be designated for low speed traffic, where there’s a lower risk of something going astray.
The company unveiled the plans at the NASA UTM Convention in California, and included five features for drones that would be able to fly in the zone:
- An advanced GPS system to pinpoint their location in real-time along with any nearby drones
- Reliable internet to maintain communications with GPS data and other devices
- Online flight planning to predict and communicate flight paths
- The ability to communicate with other drones to ensure they avoid eachother
- Sensors to avoid other obstacles including birds, buildings and cables
Of course, Amazon has to face many challenges before its drone delivery dreams come to fruition, but the company may have enough power and clout to help create the regulatory shift needed for delivery drone shipments to happen.
Developing…
➤Revising the Airspace Model for the Safe Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems via The Guardian
No comments:
Post a Comment