Amazon Drone Delivery Plan Shows Diversity of UAV Business

'Drones' is undoubtedly the word of the week. While the focus has often been on their less savoury applications, Amazon's vision of parcels delivered by drones has put different uses in the spotlight. Once an industry tool, or the plaything of electronics enthusiasts, autonomous flying machines may soon become a common part of everyday life.

In August 2011, Aibotix introduced the Aibot X6, a next-generation multicopter. Aibotix has grown steadily, developing the field further with their innovative flight platform.

The drones business has developed rapidly in recent years. It is no surprise that a company like Amazon is interested in using drones themselves. Multicopters have many unique advantages. The X6 is environmentally friendly, easy to control, and comes with highly developed autonomous flight system, said Jörg Lamprecht, Aibotix CEO.

The Aibot X6 is an intelligent platform that is easy to use and has a high degree of stability and robustness. Half a meter tall, with a diameter of just over a meter, the small size allows it to easily navigate narrow, hard to reach places. The six rotors provide stability and security. Even in the event of a motor failure, the Aibot can continue flying without a problem. A specially designed carbon fibre housing lends it excellent flight performance, minimises the risk of injury, and protects against damage to the propellers.

There is also collision avoidance in development, which will use ultrasonic sensors to ensure a proper distance is maintained, keeping people, objects, and the multicopter itself safe from harm. Despite its small size, the multicopter can carry 4kg for up to 13 minutes, which could easily cover a 5km journey. Starting and landing can be fully automated, making flight simple for even inexperienced operators. Autonomous flight programming is fast: coordinates are arranged on a digital map, then transferred to the X6 wirelessly.

While the emphasis has been on industrial applications, site inspection and land surveying, the importance and relevance of private sector use is expected to grow. Jörg Lamprecht is convinced that multicopters will play an important role in the business-to-consumer market. He sees a great potential for their application at Amazon, from warehouse stock management to supplying distribution centres. Not surprisingly, Lamprecht is always happy to hear of companies seriously considering the use of drones in their industry. It shows how varied the business is, and hints at the new market segments that will appear in the near future.