Amazon are putting up one hell of a fight trying to ensure delivery drones will be implemented with as few restrictions in place as possible. Now I can’t decide if the thought of drones delivering my Amazon orders petrifies me or has me totally awestruck (an odd amalgamation of both I think). The main trouble I have with welcoming this as an idea is that I find humans to be unreliable enough, let alone a man-made drone with no cognition.
Another foreseeable issue is what’s to say our parcels won’t get intercepted – will the drones be equipped with mini guns to fend off parcel pinchers?
With the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) allowing Amazon to test their drones earlier this year (19th March), it seemed like perhaps a drone delivery service could happen. Nonetheless, surely Amazon must have realised how unfeasible this could be in practice (despite being kind of awesome in theory). It comes as no surprise to me that state specific restrictions may be put in place, and of course this would have a massive impact on the company’s efficiency when using drones.
The dispute, as a general overview, essentially consists of Amazon being adamant that UAS (unmanned aerial systems) previously authorised by federal aviation regulators, should not have to be regulated by local communities and states. Amazon appear rather set on using this as their main ammo against those in power who are anti drone.
Now obviously this argument is taking place in the US – whether there is scope for delivery drones to be implemented in the UK is yet to be seen (I imagine it will be vastly influenced by how things go in America, and that even if it were to happen it would be many years before such a thing was applied in the UK)
It all seems very confounded at current, and I imagine if Amazon don’t get their way, it won’t be the end of it. For the time being I am hesitant to jump on the band wagon either way.