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A24 TECHNOLOGY
Thursday 6 december 2018

Where are the drones? Amazon's customers are still waiting

By DAVID KOENIG and JO- on waivers from the FAA to
SEPH PISANI keep experimenting and
The Associated Press running small-scale pilot
Jeff Bezos boldly predicted programs.
five years ago that drones "People like DHL and the
would be carrying Ama- rest of them (will say), 'Hey,
zon packages to people's we can deliver via drone
doorsteps by now. this parcel package to this
Amazon customers are still island,' but that's not the
waiting. And it's unclear original vision that Amazon
when, if ever, this particu- presented," Snow says.
lar order by the company's There is a long list of FAA
founder and CEO will ar- rules governing drone
rive. flights. They generally can't
Bezos made billions of dol- fly higher than 400 feet,
lars by transforming the over many federal facili-
retail sector. But overcom- ties, or within five miles of
ing the regulatory hurdles an airport. Night flights are
and safety issues posed forbidden. For the delivery
by drones appears to be business, the biggest hold-
a challenge even for the up is that the machines
world's wealthiest man. This Dec. 7, 2016, file photo provided by Amazon shows an Amazon Prime Air drone in must remain within sight of
The result is a blown dead- Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. the operator at all times.
line on his claim to CBS' "60 Associated Press In June, the National Acad-
Minutes" in December 2013 emies of Sciences, Engi-
that drones would be mak- analyst Colin Snow. ing ahead with plans to use ny, tested the use of drones neering, and Medicine said
ing deliveries within five Drone usage has grown drones for quick deliver- to deliver medicine from the FAA was being overly
years. rapidly in some industries, ies, though the company Tanzania to an island in conservative in its safety
The day may not be far but mostly outside the retail is staying away from fixed Lake Victoria. standards for drones. The
off when drones will carry sector and direct interac- timelines. Frank Appel, the CEO of group said FAA's risk-averse
medicine to people in ru- tion with consumers. "We are committed to DHL's parent company, attitude was holding back
ral or remote areas, but the The government estimates making our goal of deliver- Deutsche Post AG, said beneficial uses, such as
marketing hype around in- that about 110,000 com- ing packages by drones in "over the next couple of drones helping firefighters
stant delivery of consumer mercial drones are oper- 30 minutes or less a reality," years" drones will remain who are battling a fierce
goods looks more and ating in U.S. airspace, and says Amazon spokeswom- a niche vehicle and not blaze.
more like just that — hype. the number is expected an Kristen Kish. The Seattle- widely used. He said a big Even before the criticism
Drones have a short bat- to soar to about 450,000 in based online retail giant obstacle is battery life. by the scientific panel,
tery life, and privacy con- 2022. They are being used says it has drone develop- "If you have to recharge the FAA had begun to re-
cerns can be a hindrance, in rural areas for mining and ment centers in the United them every other hour, spond more quickly to op-
too. agriculture, for inspecting States, Austria, France, Isra- then you need so many erators' requests for waivers
"I don't think you will see de- power lines and pipelines, el and the United Kingdom. drones and you have to from some rules, says Alan
livery of burritos or diapers and for surveying. Delivery companies have orchestrate that. So good Perlman, founder of the
in the suburbs," says drone Amazon says it is still push- been testing the use of luck with that," he told The Drone Pilot Ground School
drones to deliver emergen- Associated Press. in Nashville, Tennessee. He
cy supplies and to cover Appel said human couri- said it is also getting easier
ground quickly in less pop- ers have another big ad- and cheaper to buy liability
ulated areas. By contrast, vantage over drones: They insurance.
package deliveries would know where customers live Bezos was mindful of the
be concentrated in office and which doorbell to ring. safety issues, telling "60
parks and neighborhoods "To program that in IT is not Minutes" back in 2013, "This
where there are bigger is- that easy and not cheap," thing can't land on some-
sues around safety and pri- he said. body's head while they're
vacy. Analysts say it will take years walking around their neigh-
In May, the Trump adminis- for the Federal Aviation Ad- borhood."
tration approved a three- ministration to write all the That didn't stop him from
year program for private rules to allow widespread predicting that drones
companies and local gov- drone deliveries. fed with GPS coordinates
ernment agencies to test Snow, the CEO of Skylogic would be taking off and
drones for deliveries, in- Research, says a rule per- making deliveries in "four,
spections and other tasks. mitting operators to fly five years. I think so. It will
But pilot programs by major drones beyond their line of work, and it will happen."
delivery companies sug- sight — so critical to deliv- To Perlman, the billionaire's
gest few Americans will eries — is at least 10 years optimism made perfect
be greeted by package- away. A method will be sense.
bearing drones any time needed to let law enforce- "When you're in his world
soon. United Parcel Service ment identify drones flying you think more about tech-
tested launching a drone over people — federal of- nology than regulations,
from a delivery truck that ficials are worried about and the (drone) technolo-
was covering a rural route their use by terrorists. gy is there," Perlman said.q
in Florida. DHL Express, the While the rules are being
German delivery compa- written, companies will rely