Amazon says its drones will also boost "the overall safety and efficiency of the transportation system."
"We are testing many different vehicle designs and delivery mechanisms to discover how best to deliver packages in a variety of environments," reads a statement from the online marketplace. "We have more than a dozen prototypes that we've developed in our research and development labs. The look and characteristics of the vehicles will evolve over time."
A company spokesperson added that drones have been tested to operate in "multiple international locations."
According to a video released by Amazon, the drones are able to fly vertically and horizontally — while scanning an area for landing they revert to vertical mode to check for potential hazards and obstacles.
However, there's a way to go before the company fully implements its drone program, as it faces regulatory obstacles; the parcel-bearing UAVs will fly only "when we have the regulatory support needed to realize our vision."
In March, Amazon won Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval, though with some restrictions, to operate drones for research purposes for Prime Air service, following its initial announcement two years ago that it hoped to develop delivery drones.
The company isn't the only player on the drove-delivery field, however. Earlier this month competitor Walmart asked the FAA for permission to launch drone testing and Google has also revealed its intentions to start operating drone service in 2017.
