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Amazon Gets Approval To Test New Delivery Drones

Posted by Soulskill on from the probably-equipped-with-defense-lasers-and-defense-grenades dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Amazon has been vocal in its complaints about how slow the FAA is in approving drones for test flights. In March they were finally given permission to test a drone they had developed six months prior, and they said the drone was already obsolete. Their complaints appear to have worked — yesterday, the FAA gave permission to test a new, updated delivery drone. According to the FAA's letter (PDF), the drone must stay at an altitude of less than 400 feet and at speeds of less than 100 mph.

2 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Re:1st by silas_moeckel · · Score: 3, Informative

    Because ground transportation in gridlocked cities takes forever.

    --
    No sir I dont like it.
  2. Still a useless exemption by Guspaz · · Score: 4, Informative

    Amazon wants automated deliveries with minimal human intervention. The FAA's exemptions still require that the drones be operated by a human, with a pilots license, and only within visual line of site of the pilot.

    Looks like Amazon is going to have to keep testing their drones in Canada, where they can test what they actually want to do.