Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21

Amazon Flies 83-Pound Prime Air Drones Over Richardson, Delivering 5-Pound Packages

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21

Amazon Flies 83-Pound Prime Air Drones Over Richardson, Delivering 5-Pound Packages

Q: As Amazon's 83-pound delivery drones buzz over Texas backyards, who is really monitoring the footage captured by their onboard navigation cameras?

Amazon says no one is routinely watching those cameras live. The onboard cameras on its Prime Air drones are described as low-resolution navigation tools used for “sense-and-avoid” functions — spotting branches, power lines, birds and other obstacles so the aircraft can fly autonomously. According to Amazon statements echoed by local officials in places where Prime Air operates, including the Rochester Hills, Michigan, guidance provided to residents, the drones do not stream a live surveillance feed to a human pilot. The imagery is also said to be generally blurred because the drones are moving at transit speed. If footage is reviewed, Amazon says it is limited to designated technicians and only in specific cases such as a delivery malfunction, safety issue or incident investigation. In other words, the material is not supposed to be under continuous human monitoring; it is mainly machine-read in real time for navigation, with post-flight human access restricted to troubleshooting or safety review. That does not eliminate privacy concerns for residents in Richardson and other suburbs seeing the drones fly low over backyards. But based on the public information available, the people most likely to see recorded imagery are a small set of authorized Amazon technical staff rather than operators watching neighborhoods in real time. FAA oversight governs the flights themselves, while Amazon controls the operational data and any internal review of camera logs.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21

Richardson, Texas, has begun seeing Amazon Prime Air drones make neighborhood deliveries after city officials granted zoning approval in December.
The six-armed drones weigh 83 pounds, carry boxes of up to five pounds and launch from an Amazon distribution center less than a mile from some homes.
Amazon says the service can reach addresses within a 7.5-mile radius and deliver tens of thousands of items in as little as 30 minutes.
Customers may get the deliveries free or pay as much as $4.99, as Amazon uses Richardson as one of the first cities for the still-early program.

Sources

The New York Times2h ago

Amazon Prime Air Drones Operate in Richardson, Texas After City Approval

herewinpower.com9h ago

Why Urban Drone Delivery Struggles at the Destination

YouTube2h ago

Delivery drones face backlash in Texas city - YouTube

8 Sources

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As Amazon's 83-pound delivery drones buzz over Texas backyards, who is really monitoring the footage captured by their onboard navigation cameras?

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