Amazon Unveils New Prime Air Delivery Drone

Amazon has been developing autonomous delivery drones to better bring goods to its customers and on Wednesday, revealed a new drone as part of its Prime Air program.

"We've been hard at work building fully electric drones that can fly up to 15 miles and deliver packages under five pounds to customers within 30 minutes, Jeff Wilke, Amazon's consumer CEO wrote Wednesday. "And, with the help of our world-class fulfillment and delivery network, we expect to scale Prime Air both quickly and efficiently, delivering packages via drone to customers within months."

Wilke unveiled the new drone design at Amazon's re:MARS (Machine Learning, Automation, Robotics and Space) event in Las Vegas.

The drone is part airplane and part helicopter, and was unveiled as Amazon hopes to move its popular prime delivery service from two days to one. "It can do vertical takeoffs and landings – like a helicopter. And it's efficient and aerodynamic – like an airplane," Wilke wrote.

The drone will also incorporate artificial intelligence and sensors so that it won't disrupt aircraft in the sky or people on the ground.

Utilizing drones as part of its delivery system was first announced by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in 2013 during an interview with CBS News. Amazon began testing the drones in 2015, with drone technology for innovative uses by businesses being legalized by the U.S. Congress in 2016.