Courtesy of Walmart
Zipline, the company behind Walmart drone deliveries in Lake Highlands and Hamilton Park, will co-host a community meeting with Council member Kathy Stewart on June 30. Zipline representatives will answer questions about their service and address concerns about noise, safety and security.
In Richardson, Amazon was forced to make adjustments to its Prime Air delivery program after neighbors complained about the constant buzz and frequency of the drones, according to Community Impact. At a March 9 meeting of the Richardson City Council, Amazon rep Sam Bailey announced increased minimum altitudes and redirected flight patterns intended to reduce the irritation. Decreasing the actual sound output would require a hardware change, which is not in Amazon’s shortrange plans, he said.
Drones are primarily regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, so Amazon’s concessions were via agreement versus regulation, City Manager Don Magner explained.
According to Walmart, the retailer operates a massive on-demand drone delivery network, and customers in DFW, Houston, Phoenix, Orlando, Tampa and Salt Lake City may order thousands of eligible household and grocery items weighing up to 10 pounds for delivery in as little as 30 minutes. After the order is placed, it is loaded into a small delivery pod. A drone flies it to the buyer’s location, hovers at 300 feet, lowers the pod via tether and gently drops the package into their yard.
Walmart is planning an expansion of drone delivery to Memphis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Salt Lake City next year.
If you’d like to learn more about the technology, ask questions, show support or voice concerns, you’re invited to the meeting at the Lake Highlands North Recreation Center at 6 p.m. on June 30.
