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Amazon.com Video Features Prime Air Drone

Amazon.com on Sunday unveiled one of the drones for its Prime Air rapid delivery.

Amazon.com on Sunday unveiled one of the drones it intends to use for its Prime Air rapid delivery service.

In a video featuring Jeremy Clarkson, the former host of British TV series Top Gear, the Seattle e-commerce giant shows footage of its factory lifting a box of shoes into the delivery drone.

The drone's sparse design features a cargo hold and fans that move the vehicle both vertically and horizontally, although Clarkson says that the forthcoming "family of Amazon drones" would include "different designs for different environments."

The video features footage of the drone ascending from the factory to an elevation of nearly 400 feet. It then flies to a destination up to 15 miles away, descends onto an Amazon mat placed in the backyard and drops its cargo before flying off again.

Prime Air, first unveiled in late 2013, would allow members to order packages of up to five pounds and receive them via drone in less than 30 minutes.

Amazon officials previously indicated that the system will be ready to launch as soon as the Federal Aviation Administration sets standards for commercial drone use, a step that's expected by next summer.

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