Unlike the infamous drones that make the evening news with their tales of destruction and that have patently dark names such as predator, this is one drone that will have people running to their doors in joy rather than ducking under their beds.
Talking on CBS’s 60 minutes, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos revealed what might be one of his biggest bets ever: product delivery by flying robot drones.
The service is called Amazon Prime Air and it’s slated for rollout sometime in 2015, depending on FAA approval.
A video of how the service will work has already been posted to YouTube, showing the process of the package being taken from the warehouse floor and on to the front steps of the customer’s home.
The idea is to have the drone deliver orders roughly 30 minutes after the customer hits the ‘buy’ button on Amazon.com.
Bezos was so excited about the news that he kept the details under wraps until just before the interview with the network began. As per the producers of 60 Minutes, before the unveiling, Bezos said, “If you can guess what it is, then… I will give you half my fortune and send you to Vegas with it.”
This opens up an entirely new frontier for students of supply chain management and professionals working in this space. You can watch the entire interview on the 60 Minutes website