Amazon’s Prime Air delivery drones will start testing in Texas soon. The drone delivery tests are taking place in College Station, Texas, along with a test area announced last month in Lockeford, California.
The current MK27-2 design (shown above) has a hexagonal shape that Amazon says increases stability, as do propellers that the company claims will minimize high-frequency sound waves.
The company originally announced plans to create a 30-minute drone delivery service in 2013 and showed off this now dated video (embedded above) as a demonstration of what the future might look like. Amazon showed redesigned drones with hybrid VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) capabilities in 2019 and received Federal Aviation Administration approval to allow its drones to carry packages in 2020 while operating outside the operator’s line of sight.
Before announcing plans to begin delivery testing to consumers, the reports focused on the hurdles Amazon faced, including multiple drone crashes and allegations that the program was being rushed.
Amazon says “hundreds” of customers in the Lockeford area have reached out to join the test group and that the Texas rollout represents a partnership with the city and Texas A&M University “for some of the great work they have done.” done” regarding drones.