Prompt #9

Perhaps the biggest science news this year is Amazon's unveiling of the delivery drone. This device will soon be available across the US, allowing people to get their deliveries in minutes, instead of hours. "Drones that will fly packages directly to your doorstep in 30 minutes" (Soper). This is made possible by the explosion in drone technology over the recent years. A drone is a remote controlled (or in this case controlled by ai) vehicle that is propelled by (usually 4) propellers. These drones are capable of flying miles on end, at altitudes safe from any electrical lines, or airplanes. "drones fly under 400 feet and weigh less than 55 pounds" (Soper).

Amazon has taken this new concept of transport, and plan to revolutionize both it and logistics. These devices would be required to pick up a box, up to 5 pounds, and carry it for up to 15 miles. For Amazon to achieve this, they had to bring in a group of engineers to design said drones. First, it was the mechanical and aerospace engineers turn. Their job was to make an aircraft that can not only fly 15 miles on a single charge, but can also pick up, carry, and drop a package. For help with this and location control, Amazon called in computer engineers. These types of engineers are skilled in computer programming. Their job is to code the drone so it can maneuver around object, and deliver the package to the correct destination, with no human input.

While Amazon has done all of the technical work, they still need liscensing to be able to fly the drones. "The Federal Aviation Administration is currently developing regulations for both recreational drones and commercial delivery drones" (Soper). Their aim is to have drones in the sky by early 2017

Writer: Pat Wilkinson

Soper, Taylor. "Amazon Reveals New Delivery Drone Design with Range

 of 15 Miles." GeekWire. N.p., 29 Nov. 2015. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.