Alyssa Newcomb/NBC News

It’s no secret that Amazon sees a bright future for drones. With their help, the company wants to deliver orders to its customers, which should speed up the shipping process and keep costs down. At the SXSW technology conference in Austin, Texas, the online retail giant introduced the new version of its delivery drone.

At first glance, it doesn’t really look much different than the previous model. The main difference is that it’s a bit bigger and comes equipped with sense and avoid technology, which will make sure that it won’t crash into a wall or a different object while in the air. Visitors of the SXSW technology conference were able to check out the drone up close but, unfortunately, didn’t get the chance to see it in action.

Related reading: DJI Drones guide: the sky is not the limit

Amazon wants to get its delivery drones off the ground as soon as possible, but there are quite a few obstacles to overcome before that happens. The major one is that regulations in the US aren’t in Amazon’s favor. Drones must remain within the pilot’s line of sight at all times, which is impossible when it comes to deliveries.

The second major obstacle is making a delivery to a customer living in an apartment building in the center of a big city. Dropping off the package in front of the building and taking off probably isn’t the safest way of doing things. Amazon hasn’t yet shared any specific plans regarding drone deliveries at the conference, but we do know that the company is already testing out its ambitious plans in the UK.

Related reading: Where are all the drone deliveries?


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