According to the online retail giant, the service will be used to deliver goods in under an hour. The service is already available in two US states for goods under 2.2kg. Amazon said it is working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to meet regulations and understand how to best use the new technology safely and securely. 

The announcement comes on the backdrop of the introduction of a new MK30 drone model, which is said to operate better in extreme weather conditions. While the company’s drone program is relatively small at the moment, Jason Patrao, Prime AI director of engineering said he anticipates it will become an integral part of Amazon’s operations soon enough.

 “Our customers have always wanted things faster, and I think this is a way we can get to it at scale,” said Patrao about the launch. 

The Amazon delivery drones will not be the first in UK airspace, in fact. The Orkney Islands started testing drones for inter-island mail delivery services in August this year. The project won funding to launch the pilot from the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator programme, backed by the Department for Transport (DfT). 

While the use of drones is poised to reduce carbon emissions, and better serve remote locations, the question of how this will displace jobs remains. Amazon claims that the benefits to safety in the fulfilment centres will outweigh the negatives, along with creating new jobs alongside it. 

“It becomes magical when you blend multiple robotics systems with our amazing people,” said Tye Brady, Amazon robotics chief technologist.

“There’s also an opportunity to make things safer, when people (are) bending and lifting heavy objects, when people are walking miles in the fulfilment centre,” explained Scott Dresser, vice president for Amazon robotics.

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However, as these technologies scale, the more dominant the e-commerce market will be. As that happens, the more these companies will rely on drones. This has led to the global uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) market to surge by to a projected £39.2 billion by the end of the decade, up from £21.9bn last year. 

In response to this, researchers at the Institute for Assured Autonomy, used artificial intelligence (AI) to model a system that could orchestrate this increase in traffic.

“Our simulated system leverages autonomy algorithms to enhance the safety and scalability of UAS operations below 400 feet altitude,” said  Lanier Watkins, a researcher at the Institute for Assured Autonomy.

The team evaluated the impact of autonomous algorithms in a simulated 3D airspace, drawing on previous research on collision avoidance algorithms. The findings revealed that inclusion of strategic deconfliction algorithms substantially improved safety and almost eliminated airspace accidents completely.