The frightening future of commerce. Photograph courtesy Amazon.
Jeff Bezos wants to be Skynet. The Amazon founder’s next passion project after taking over the Washington Post sounds like something out of Terminator, but on 60 Minutes last night, the terrifying robotic future became very real.
Bezos wants to fill the skies with an army of self-guided drones to deliver your Amazon orders.
Bezos said that he envisions that as early as 2015, his drones could be buzzing by your house. Bezos showed off two model “octocopters”—eight-bladed unmanned aerial vehicles—capable of lugging small parcels from an Amazon warehouse to a shipping destination within 30 minutes of placing an order.
Bezos is waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to issue rules governing drones used for commercial purposes. The FAA currently allows drones in domestic airspace on a case-by-case basis for law enforcement and military purposes. Drones used for photography and other activities are permitted below 400 feet.
The secret project was unveiled at the end of the segment, though Bezos admitted the model drones, emblazoned with “Amazon Prime Air,” are still very much prototypes. But the test run 60 Minutes showed was uncanny: An Amazon item weighing less than five pounds is placed in a container and rolled down a conveyor belt where the drone picks it up with a claw. From there, the drone is programmed with GPS coordinates and flies to its destination without the need for a remote pilot.
Bezos said the drone service will be available to customers within 10 miles of one of Amazon’s warehouses. The company currently has 37 spread across the United States, most within spitting distance of a major city. But even if he gets favorable FAA regulations, it’s unlikely the service will come to Washington. The FAA has prohibited unauthorized aircraft from flying over DC since 9/11, and drone hobbyists here have been grounded.
So while everyone else cowers in fear (or ducks to avoid being clipped by one of the drone’s eight blades), Amazon’s customers in Washington will still get their shipments the old-fashioned way. And we’ll be spared the awkwardness of figuring out a year-end tip for a newspaper delivery drone.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Jeff Bezos Introduces Plans for Unmanned Delivery Drones
The Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner wants flying robots to make deliveries, though getting that in DC is unlikely.
Jeff Bezos wants to be Skynet. The Amazon founder’s next passion project after taking over the Washington Post sounds like something out of Terminator, but on 60 Minutes last night, the terrifying robotic future became very real.
Bezos wants to fill the skies with an army of self-guided drones to deliver your Amazon orders.
Bezos said that he envisions that as early as 2015, his drones could be buzzing by your house. Bezos showed off two model “octocopters”—eight-bladed unmanned aerial vehicles—capable of lugging small parcels from an Amazon warehouse to a shipping destination within 30 minutes of placing an order.
Bezos is waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to issue rules governing drones used for commercial purposes. The FAA currently allows drones in domestic airspace on a case-by-case basis for law enforcement and military purposes. Drones used for photography and other activities are permitted below 400 feet.
The secret project was unveiled at the end of the segment, though Bezos admitted the model drones, emblazoned with “Amazon Prime Air,” are still very much prototypes. But the test run 60 Minutes showed was uncanny: An Amazon item weighing less than five pounds is placed in a container and rolled down a conveyor belt where the drone picks it up with a claw. From there, the drone is programmed with GPS coordinates and flies to its destination without the need for a remote pilot.
Bezos said the drone service will be available to customers within 10 miles of one of Amazon’s warehouses. The company currently has 37 spread across the United States, most within spitting distance of a major city. But even if he gets favorable FAA regulations, it’s unlikely the service will come to Washington. The FAA has prohibited unauthorized aircraft from flying over DC since 9/11, and drone hobbyists here have been grounded.
So while everyone else cowers in fear (or ducks to avoid being clipped by one of the drone’s eight blades), Amazon’s customers in Washington will still get their shipments the old-fashioned way. And we’ll be spared the awkwardness of figuring out a year-end tip for a newspaper delivery drone.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Trump Hotel Employees Reveal What It Was Really Like Catering to the Right Wing Elite
March 4 Isn’t the Only Date on the QAnon Calendar
Report Claims NFL Investigation Recommends Dan Snyder Be Forced to Sell
The Bulwark Was Founded to Oppose Trump. Now What?
Washington’s Most Influential People
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2021: The Influencers
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Marty Baron’s Last Day at the Washington Post Is This Sunday
“Hot Jazz Saturday Night” Is Back—and Rob Bamberger’s Beard Is Gone
This Research Explains Why You Know So Much About Marjorie Taylor Greene
The Baltimore Sun Avoids Being Owned by a Newspaper-Gobbling Hedge Fund
More from News & Politics
A New DC Program Lets Housebound Seniors Sign Up for Zoom Sessions with Rescue Animals
Axios Political Reporter Alexi McCammond is Teen Vogue’s New Editor
Report Claims NFL Investigation Recommends Dan Snyder Be Forced to Sell
Today’s Vaccine Signup Was Messy Again. Next Week Doesn’t Look Promising.
A DC Experiment in Direct Cash Transfers to Fight Poverty
The Capitol Police’s Request to Retain the National Guard Took DC Officials by Surprise
DC’s Covid Vaccine Appointments Were Filled in Under 10 Minutes This Morning
Chasten Buttigieg and Doug Emhoff Hung Out on Capitol Hill Yesterday