Amazon to use octocopter drones to deliver packages home in less than 30 minutes

CEO Jeff Bezos says Amazon.com Inc is testing a new delivery service that could pick up items from Amazon's distribution centers and fly them to customer's homes. The drones can carry packages that weigh up to 2.3kgs and Amazon is waiting to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place.

"The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles," says Amazon's website. Called Prime Air vehicles, the goal of the new delivery system is to get packages into customers' hands in 30 minutes or less. Amazon says one day, seeing fleets of delivery drones in the sky will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today.

The drones are octocopters, 8-rotor helicopters, that carry the packages directly from the distribution center and will place them right outside people's doorsteps. The service will be ready for roll out in 2015, says Amazon.

"We hope the FAA's rules will be in place as early as sometime in 2015. We will be ready at that time". The rules prioritise public safety.

"Safety will be our top priority, and our vehicles will be built with multiple redundancies and designed to commercial aviation standards," the website says.

Here's how customers will be able to select the high-speed, 30-minute delivery option that will use the octocopter to deliver packages.

View a video demo of the drone delivery here:

In June this year, Domino's UK released a video on Youtube of the Domicopter, an octocopter that delivers pizzas direct to your door.