Amazon’s plans to launch a drone delivery service in the United States are slowly inching forward.
The Federal Aviation Administration just announced an important milestone in drone flight that has significant implications for Amazon and other companies hoping to launch commercial drone operations.
The University of Alaska completed the first FAA-approved “beyond line of sight” drone flight this week, Reuters reported.
Up until now, the agency has had a strictly-enforced “line of sight” rules that requires drone operators to be able to see their drone at all times. And even one-time waivers granted by the FAA have required a person on the ground to watch the drone, according to Irish Automation, a company that makes the collision avoidance software that was used in the Alaska flight. This has been a major hurdle for Amazon and other companies that want to use autonomous drones for delivery services and other uses. Read more…
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