Amazon's Decision to Eliminate Backup Landing Sensors Raises Safety Concerns in Drone Operations

In mid-December, two Amazon delivery drones met an unfortunate fate while navigating through light rain.Just minutes apart, both drones experienced what can only be described as a dramatic malfunction.

On December 16, shortly before 10 a.m., the first Prime Air drone successfully dropped off its package at a test home in rural Oregon. However, during its landing approach back to the ground pad, it unexpectedly shut down its propellers from 217 feet in the air and crashed. A mere four minutes later, another drone followed suit at 183 feet above ground.

following these incidents, Amazon decided to pause their experimental drone operations for software adjustments but insisted that these crashes were not the main reason for halting progress.

Now that some time has passed as those crashes, more details are surfacing about what went wrong. According to documents from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reviewed by Bloomberg News,faulty lidar sensor readings misled the drones into thinking they had landed safely. This issue arose after a software update made them more prone to errors during rainy conditions.

Interestingly enough, this latest model of Amazon’s drone lacks backup sensors that were present in earlier versions—sensors that might have prevented such mishaps according to insiders familiar with the situation.

A spokesperson for Amazon disputed this narrative: “Bloomberg’s reporting is misleading,” said Kate Kudrna. She emphasized that assuming replacing one system would have changed past outcomes is irresponsible and noted improvements made as then ensure greater safety and reliability of their current models.

The vision for delivery drones was first introduced by Jeff Bezos back in 2013 when he predicted they could be delivering packages within five years—a timeline that’s clearly been missed due to ongoing technical hurdles and accidents like one in 2021 which ignited a field at their Pendleton testing site (which Amazon claims are designed for rigorous testing).

the regulatory landscape has also slowed progress; federal authorities took longer than anticipated to establish guidelines on how autonomous aircraft can safely operate alongside traditional air traffic.

Instead of outsourcing development work on these drones like many companies do, Amazon chose an internal approach believing their engineers could create superior machines tailored specifically for their logistics needs. While they’ve achieved significant milestones—like receiving FAA approval for beyond visual line-of-sight operations—the program still faces challenges with deliveries currently limited primarily to areas like College Station in Texas and parts of Phoenix with future expansions planned into cities such as Kansas City and San Antonio as well as international locations including Italy and the UK.

The design journey began with prototypes resembling hobbyist drones susceptible even to mild winds; though, after numerous iterations aimed at enhancing durability while allowing payloads up to five pounds—ideal for typical warehouse items—they settled on a six-propellor configuration capable of vertical takeoff followed by horizontal flight similar to small aircrafts. The MK27 was eventually succeeded by last year’s MK30 model which boasts speeds around 67 miles per hour over distances up to seven-and-a-half miles from launch points—all autonomously operated throughout takeoff through landing phases.

the previous MK27 utilized lidar technology pinging surfaces below it repeatedly but included additional backup sensors known as squat switches—essentially metal prongs confirming physical contact upon landing via pressure feedback mechanisms integrated into its navigation system ensuring safe landings based on consensus among multiple sensors.

With advancements seen in MK30 redesign eliminating squat switches altogether raises questions regarding rationale behind such decisions; FAA documentation indicates reliance now rests heavily upon camera systems paired with avionics redundancy meant solely addressing critical functionalities instead.

This shift may reflect broader changes within how Amazon envisions aerial deliveries moving forward; unlike earlier designs intended specifically targeting backyard drop-offs featuring enclosed propellers minimizing risks posed towards pets or people nearby—the new iteration opts instead exposing propellers dropping packages from approximately thirteen feet high.

Earlier this year while grounded due sensor issues stemming partly dust interference affecting altitude readings near Phoenix operation sites—a blog post acknowledged potential inaccuracies arising under rare circumstances leading FAA approval granted March twelfth encompassing updates made across altitude sensing systems implemented thereafter allowing resumed testing flights once again.

Kudrna declined elaborating specifics surrounding updated systems yet assured multiple sensor inputs now mitigate risks associated errant lidar data potentially causing accidents thus paving way forward resuming both tests along actual delivery flights once more!