A Drone Again, Naturally

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos is getting some competition from the Smithsonian Institution in testing personal delivery drones for the future.

Photo: AP Photo

Smithsonian magazine is hosting its second “The Future is Here” festival this weekend and plans to test fly drones and a human jetpack near the National Mall. The festival runs from Friday night through Sunday with events showcasing new science, technology and engineering.

Editor Michael Caruso says experts from NASA, the Smithsonian and elsewhere will cover everything from evolutionary biology to space colonization.

The Smithsonian had to get special clearance from the FAA and Secret Service to fly a jetpack and drones so close to the White House. The FAA estimates there may be 7,500 commercial drones operating by 2018, and Bezos has said Amazon could use them for deliveries.