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Amazon brings drone delivery to Chicago's suburbs
In the South Suburbs, the future of delivery is taking flight. Some residents will soon have the option to receive their Amazon packages by air as the company prepares to launch its drone service from Markham and Matteson.
TINLEY PARK, Ill. - In the South Suburbs, the future of delivery is taking flight.
Some residents will soon have the option to receive their Amazon packages by air as the company prepares to launch its drone service from Markham and Matteson.
On Monday, Amazon gave community members a first look at its delivery drone.
What we know:
This summer, Amazon plans to roll out Prime Air deliveries from its fulfillment centers in Markham and Matteson, serving customers within a 7.5-mile radius of those warehouses.
The aircraft weighs about 80 pounds and can deliver packages of up to 5 pounds — bringing on-demand delivery to the skies.
"We are able to operate in cold temperatures, in light precipitation, even light rain. Our wind limits are pretty robust," said Josh Brundage, senior manager of commercial operations, Amazon Prime Air.
On Monday, community members were invited to attend an information session with Amazon representatives at the Tinley Park Convention Center.
"We have all the trucks coming in the neighborhood now every day, so this will be a bit different, and it is pretty big. It will take a while to get used to it," said Terry Throw, who lives in Tinley Park.
"I think it's the way of the future and this is only going to get bigger and better. I like it; I think it's a good idea," Tim Throw, another community member, added.
When the service goes live, residents who live within a 7.5 mile radius of the Markham and Matteson Amazon distribution centers will be able to select the drone delivery option.
There will be an extra fee of $4.99 for Prime members. Items will be delivered within two hours.
"If you select it, then you will get basically an aerial image of your house, like a Google Earth look at your property. It will have pre-determined delivery points, and you can select which one. A lot of people prefer the backyard because it is safer, and a lot more private. Check out like a normal Amazon order and within two hours, you'll see this coming over your yard and dropping off your package for you," Brundage explained.
Twelve drones will be stationed at each warehouse to serve the delivery area.
During a delivery, the drones won’t touch down. Instead, they will hover close to the ground and release the customer’s package at the designated spot.
Drones will operate only during daylight hours and will deliver one package at a time. The service is fully autonomous, though each flight is monitored by an Amazon Prime Air team to ensure safety.
Dig deeper:
Drones are equipped with cameras, but Amazon says they are used strictly for navigation and obstacle avoidance, and all flights follow Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
According to Amazon: "Our drones use cameras and other sensors to navigate, sense and avoid obstacles, and safely deliver packages. The cameras may record overhead videos of people and things near the delivery location when completing the delivery process."
Brundage says the drones are largely driven by GPS and satellite navigation.
"When it's making the delivery, that's when the cameras kick in. It also has cameras it uses in flight to make sure if there's an obstacle, it moves around that," Brundage said. "The cameras are simply there as a safety, as a situational awareness aid for the drone. Nothing else happens with that video."
The drone delivery service is already in use in other cities, including Detroit, Kansas City, and San Antonio.
What's next:
There’s no set launch date, but residents can expect the service to take flight this summer.