In 2013 Amazon's Jeff Bezos told us that delivery drones would be routinely zipping your birthday present from a fulfillment center to your doorstep by 2018.
Four years after that deadline: Not yet! However, Amazon does have a list of prospective towns - including College Station - that they say will have drone deliveries by the end of the year. (i.e., this year 2022) Guillaume Delepine of Skydio, which creates drones for other purposes than delivery, explains why we're still waiting. "They really need to hit extremely high reliability standards. If they're going to do delivery, they will probably be flying beyond the line of sight of the pilot (if there is a pilot) and those just haven't been proven yet." He says a recent delivery drone crashed into powerlines in Australia leaving thousands without power.
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Many say Bezos' prediction will never come to fruition. Russell Kutach, President of Houston's iSky Professional Drone Services, says he thinks there are still hurdles to clear. "Delivery drones delivering items to homes and businesses will probably take a while longer. One reason is because of the ground logistics involved. Regarding the drop-off spots: Are they secure from pets, people and the weather?"
Drones are currently busy with projects from aerial photography to roof inspections to joining search and rescue efforts.
Photo:Getty
Will delivery drones ever criss cross above your home?Photo: Getty Images