Amazon is expanding its drone delivery service in metro Detroit, with plans to fly its drones out of its fulfillment center in Hazel Park, which can drop off packages at nearby customers’ homes.
Packages up to 5 pounds will soon be able to be delivered by a fleet of 12 drones within about a 7.5-mile radius from its facility in Hazel Park, so along with Hazel Park, the drones will be able to deliver to parts of Detroit, Hamtramck, Warren, Madison Heights, Oak Park and Ferndale, Lauren Wilson, a drone operations manager at Amazon, said at an event announcing the expansion to Hazel Park.
“I think it’s really exciting to be able to offer someone an opportunity to receive a product that they need very quickly,” Wilson said at the media preview on Nov. 20 that was also open to the public and held at the Hazel Park Community Center. She gave examples of scenarios in which drone delivery would be a benefit, such as an elderly person not having access to a pharmacy and needing medication or providing goods for customers without cars.
The expansion to Hazel Park builds on Amazon’s launch of its drone delivery service in Pontiac earlier this month. Wilson said the volume of orders through Prime Air is growing every day.
Since starting drone delivery in 2022, the e-commerce company has expanded its service to cities such as San Antonio in Texas and the Phoenix metro area in Arizona.
How Amazon drones work
The electric drones weigh 85 pounds, fly at about 200 to 400 feet and deliver items that weigh up to 5 pounds, such as a thermometer, Bluetooth speaker, Ring doorbell, remote control and cleaning supplies.
Called the MK30 and unveiled in 2023, the drone, Amazon said, took engineers about 18 months to develop.
Each drone has a “sense and avoid” technology that allows them to detect and avoid obstacles, including people, pets and property, Amazon said. The MK30s also have safety features that allow them to deliver packages to customers with smaller backyards and in more densely populated suburban areas.
Amazon also said this drone is quieter compared with previous models and said it designed the propellers to reduce the MK30’s perceived noise by almost half. Even as the drone is descending, its sound is still quieter than the range of sounds generally heard in a neighborhood, Amazon said.
“They just kind of disappear into the landscape,” Wilson said, comparing the noise the drone makes to a vacuum.
These drones use vertical takeoff to get off the ground, and then transition into horizontal, wing-borne flight. They can deliver packages to customers quickly, typically in one hour or less, Amazon said.
Challenges delivering in Michigan
Amazon officials acknowledged, though, that flying drones in Michigan will come with some unique challenges compared with cities in other states where drone delivery has launched.
That’s because the drones don’t operate in icy conditions or if the temperature drops below 14 degrees, Wilson said. They can, however, fly in rain and light precipitation, but not snow.
Drone delivery also isn’t offered at night or during heavy winds.
If weather becomes an issue, Wilson said, Amazon has a fleet of vehicles that will make that delivery instead.
Drones raise safety concerns
As Amazon scales up its drone operations, questions about safety and reliability have followed.
As recently as October, two Amazon Prime Air drones hit a crane in a city near Phoenix, prompting an investigation by the federal government.
Wilson, responding to questions about these concerns, said there’s “nothing to fear.”
“When you see it go through the sky, it’s not something you would necessarily notice,” she said.
Wilson also raised what she described as a “common misconception”: that drones take away jobs. She described Amazon Prime Air as a complementary service to traditional deliveries made by drivers and said the service is actually creating jobs.
Amazon’s facility in Hazel Park employs 700 workers, and is adding 30 employees for the launch of Prime Air for roles with responsibilities such as doing pre-flight checks and monitoring drone flights.
How to use Prime Air
When placing a drone delivery order for the first time, customers will select from up to three available delivery points on their property during checkout. Amazon will deliver the package to the selected delivery point.
While Amazon said customers don’t need to be present at the time of delivery, they should ensure that people, pets, vehicles and objects taller than 5 feet (including plants) are at least 10 feet away from the selected delivery point. The drones are able to sense if something is in the descent area.
Drone delivery will be available to locations within about a 7.5-mile radius from Amazon facility located at 1400 E. 10 Mile Road, Suite 190.
Prime members can receive deliveries for $4.99, while non-Prime members are charged $9.99.
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Amazon drone delivery is landing in Michigan neighborhoods
Reporting by Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
