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Amazon unveiled its new drone prototype

Two years after unveiling its plan to send packages using a drone, Amazon today unveiled its latest drone prototype.

The hybrid drone was unveiled through a two-minute YouTube video which also shows an actual footage of the flying drone.

The new drone is part of Amazon's new fleet of service known as Amazon Prime Air.

According to CNET News, the package delivered by drone will take less than 30 minutes.

Amazon also claims that the new drone is better compared to its previous prototype as it can fly at the speed of 55 miles per hour at an altitude of 400 feet.

TechCrunch also points out that the new hybrid drone allows it to fly vertically like a helicopter after receiving the package in its fuselage and then continue to fly like an airplane once it has reached the desired height.

Through this new technology, the drone will be able to deliver a package at a more efficient rate compared to its previous prototype.

The new delivery service is a strategy that Amazon is hoping will give the company a head start with other rivals including Walmart who has been competing to venture in depth into the online market.

Amazon spokesperson Kristen Kish told TechCrunch that the current design enables the drone "to fly long distances efficiently and go straight up and down in a safe, agile way".

It is one of many prototype vehicles we have developed. One day, seeing Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road", he declared.

Although the new prototype shows a promising result in making the new delivery service a reality, Amazon will still face a major hurdle in realizing it as there are still some rules and law that the company needs to follow.

This includes some rules by the FAA that requires drones to fly only within the sight of its pilot, noted the Washington Post.

However, Amazon said that it will continue to work with the regulators and other policymakers to ensure that the Amazon Prime Air will be a reality as soon as possible.

Kish told reporters that Amazon "will deploy when and where we have the regulatory support needed to safely realize our vision."

Meanwhile, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International claims that if the FAA approves and improve its law on drone, more jobs will be created within 3 years of its approval. The association claims more than 70,000 jobs will be created and it will generate $13.6 billion in economic.


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