Amazon Argues for Low-Flying Drone Radars in 60 GHz Band

Amazon made its case for allowing low-flying drone radars in the 60 GHz band (see 2210200058), in a call with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-264. “The purpose of the Near Surround Detection radar for the Prime Air delivery drone is to provide additional awareness to our existing autonomous system when operating within close proximity (approximately 2-5 meters) to obstacles such as trees, flagpoles, and power lines during delivery,” Amazon said: “The Near Surround Detect radar will be used primarily to provide proximity detection in a horizontal plane where there are no existing sensors during ascent/descent, and to provide a second, independent sensing modality above and below the drone to detect corner case obstacles that the primary optical sensing mode may have missed.”