Google has finally unveiled Project Wing, its secret project to develop drones in a bid to create a new delivery system. The project has been running for two years
Project Wing has been developed by Google[x], the company's clandestine tech research arm that has been responsible for developing technology such as the Google Glass, Google contact lens, Project Loon – high altitude balloons for internet – and the driverless car.
"We are removing another chunk of friction in moving things around," says Astro Teller, Captain Moonshots of Google[x].
The YouTube video introducing the drone prototype says: "Project Wing is a Google[x] project that is developing a delivery system that uses self-flying vehicles. As part of our research, we built a vehicle and travelled to Queensland, Australia for some test flights. There, we successfully delivered a first aid kit, candy bars, dog treats, and water to a couple of Australian farmers. We’re only just beginning to develop the technology to make a safe delivery system possible, but we think that there’s tremendous potential to transport goods more quickly, safely and efficiently. "
Watch the video:
Initial news of Google's foray into drones came with the announcement of a $5 million dollar grant to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to buy drones to strike down on poachers by mapping poaching of endangered species in the jungles of Africa and Asia. Earlier this year, Google acquired the drone start up Titan Aerospace.
Previously, Amazon was the first to announce its plans to use drones to deliver packages in the US by 2015.
This was followed by Facebook's announcement that it would work on drones, developing its own technologies to deliver affordable Internet access to everyone, irrespective of technical or financial obstacles.
Google revealed that its long-term goal was to develop drones that could be used for disaster relief by delivering aid to isolated areas. They could be used after earthquakes, floods, or extreme weather events, the company suggested, taking small items such as medicines to people in areas that conventional vehicles cannot reach.
With agency inputs.
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