Watch the moment an Amazon drone delivers sunscreen for the first time
Amazon has taken another small autonomous step toward drone delivery.
The company completed its first public United States delivery using one of its Prime Air delivery drones at a robotics conference in California on Monday, within the airspace of the Palm Springs Airport.
The drone lands in a field, drops off a four-plus pound box of sunscreen bottles, and buzzes back up into the sky.
Amazon's first drone delivery took place late last year in the United Kingdom, where regulations are a bit more drone-friendly. The drone delivered an Amazon Fire TV and a bag of popcorn.
But Amazon did conduct its U.S. delivery with the FAA's help, which demonstrates coordination and communication on at least some level.
Several legislatures in the U.S. are slowly coming around to robotics. Earlier this month, Virginia passed legislation that allows robots to roam around on sidewalks delivering packages.
Though Amazon doesn't seem to have a plan for ground-based drone delivery, they voiced support for Virginia's move. For them, the greater acceptance of autonomous delivery, the better.
Topics Amazon
Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
