The Biden administration has expressed interest in developing the field of drone delivery and logistics, and for uses like infrastructure inspection. Drones have potential to be even more efficient and environmentally friendly than a modern electric delivery van. It recently discontinued Amazon Echo Look, an Alexa-enabled device that scanned a user’s outfit and offered questionable fashion advice.Įven in 2021, the idea of drone delivery still sounds somewhat fantastical, but widespread use of these small aircraft could have an enormous impact. Over the years, the company has had mixed success releasing products like smartphones and in-home grocery scanners. Projects that take longer than expected to get off the ground are hardly unusual at big companies, and Amazon is no different. “We are pioneering new ground and it will continue to take time to create the right technology and infrastructure to safely deliver packages to customers.” “Prime Air is committed to making our goal of delivering packages by drones a reality,” Amazon said in a statement to TIME. Nearly eight years later, the world’s leading online retailer is struggling to make progress with its Prime Air program.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s then-CEO, said in the televised segment that it would likely take “four to five years” to turn the “R&D project” into a reality. Amazon’s promise was quite remarkable: Your packages-containing anything from toothpaste to a new smartphone-would arrive right at your doorstep (or on your lawn) by way of a drone that lands, drops your parcel and flies away. Amazon announced an experimental drone delivery service with great fanfare as part of a 60 Minutes feature in 2013. And the fall of 2021 would have been an opportune time to have little automated flying machines delivering packages to customers-what with all the trouble human workers are causing around the country with strikes and labor shortages. Amazon’s squadron of delivery drones was supposed to be in full flight by now.

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