For a couple of years, companies such as Amazon, Google or DHL have been seriously competing over developing an efficient drone delivery service.
- In 2013, Amazon unveiled the Amazon Prime Air, a system using UAV equipped with their own GPS that would be able to deliver individual packages to customer’s doorsteps within 30 minutes after ordering. Amazon started testing in Canada and Wales.
- Google[x] is a secret R&D unit incorporated into Google – being itself now Alphabet Inc.’s leading subsidiary since August 2015 – which is specialized in developing innovative projects related to robotics and artificial intelligence. Quite similar to Amazon Prime Air, Project Wing is a project presented for the first time in August 2014. Google[x]’s tests are currently taking place in Australia.
The German firm DHL stood out by receiving en primeur an authorization for its Parcelcopter to deliver medications on the North Sea island of Juist.
For all those companies, the major stake now is to get a clear legislation about drone’s air traffic. Especially in the United States, one of the largest potential market, where commercial drone flights are not legalized yet.
There are actual ongoing discussions with the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to finalize regulations on this matter. FAA should develop a drone registry by December 20th, which will be a first major step to drone’s air traffic legislation.
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