What will it bring and what can we expect now?

By land or air, but autonomously. Like other companies, Amazon has been working on technology for some time that would allow it to deliver packages quickly without resorting to vans or trucks. Its Scout land robot or Prime Air drone point in this direction, two projects that have faced a complicated path in recent years. Now the multinational company, led by Andy Jassy, ​​is willing to go a step further and launch pharmaceutical distribution services for its Texas customers.

The big question is: what does it offer and what can we expect now?

“Free Drone Delivery”. That’s the message Amazon Pharmacy customers living in College Station, an East Texas city of 124,000 residents, encounter every time they buy certain medications on the company’s website. After the sale ends, they will have the opportunity to take advantage of “free drone delivery within 60 minutes.” However, Amazon has now clarified that the automated delivery service is only available in Texas towns and is for “eligible” customers and products.

The shipments will focus on more than 500 drugs that treat common illnesses such as influenza, asthma or pneumonia, and may not include other types of products. “Customers cannot receive other items sold through Amazon’s online store (such as toothpaste or diapers) and medications delivered by Amazon Pharmacy at the same time,” the company explains, reminding that this rule also applies to its website. deliver goods standard.

How does the service work? “Eligible customers” will be able to select the drone delivery option when checking out at Amazon Pharmacy. If you choose this service, the pharmacist will be responsible for loading your medication so that it reaches its destination in up to 60 minutes. Amazon details that the drone will then be responsible for flying at an altitude of 40 to 120 meters (airspace with “minimal obstructions”) until it reaches its destination. Once there, it will gradually descend to a mark and release the package.

Know more details? if so. Before being “qualified” for drone delivery, customers must meet a series of requirements: They must register with Primer Air, fill out a questionnaire, and then place a delivery logo provided by the company itself. When the drone reaches that point, it will descend to a height of four meters and release the request, then ascend again and return to base. “Customers will be able to pick up their packages at this time without any interaction with the drone,” Amazon added.

The drone is equipped with cameras, sensors and a neural network trained to recognize objects, a deployment of the technology that allows it to check whether delivery points are safe. “Computer vision will detect any structures or objects protruding from the ground, such as people and animals, and check if they interfere with the descent route,” the company explains. When the delivery area is clear, the drone releases the package to ascend again , return to the distribution center. “

is it safe? If the drone detects an obstacle, it will return to base and attempt a new delivery later. Amazon insists on emphasizing the safety of its service, keeping in mind that it is one of the few delivery companies to have received an air carrier certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drones. He claimed that since December 2022, his equipment has delivered “hundreds of items” in College Station.

What now? In a statement released a few days ago announcing the new service, Amazon was very clear: Focusing on College Station, at least for now, it always talks about “qualified” customers and products, listing “more than 500 medications,” referring to Amazon subsidiary Amazon Pharmacy, which has provided an online pharmacy platform in the United States since late 2020.

In the statement, the company did not talk about expanding the service or reveal what next steps it will take. In addition to the United States, in Asia and Europe, the industry has already taken steps to use drones to deliver goods.

Is this a new goal? Won’t.Beyond its pharmaceutical arm, the company founded by Jeff Bezos has been perfecting deliver goods with drones. In 2013, he even stated that he thought it was feasible to deliver such a device within five years, but its development and implementation proved to be much more complex than he expected: In April 2022, it was estimated that the funds allocated to Prime Air has more than $2 billion in funding, and the division has not escaped unscathed from the company’s headcount reductions.

More than a year ago, Amazon announced that its Prime Air drones would “soon” deliver to customers in 60 minutes and be capable of transporting packages weighing less than 5 pounds. After taking its first steps in the town of Rockford, California, it aims to offer services by the end of 2022 to residents of College Station, home to Texas A&M University, which also has a drone research program. She wasn’t the only one competing in that game. Walmart or Alphabe have also joined the fray.

cover image: Amazon

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