Google Aims to Begin Drone Package Deliveries In 2017

Google – Alphabet Inc. – Delivering Packages through Drone

According to the executive in charge of Google’s drone effort, the new holding company for Google, Alphabet Inc. is expected to start delivering packages to consumers through drone somewhere in 2017. The leader for Google’s Project Wing, David Vos, stated that the company is in talks with the Federal Aviation Administration together with other stakeholders with regards to the setting up of an air traffic control system for drones which would be utilising cellular as well as Internet technology in coordinating unmanned aerial vehicle flights at altitudes of below 500 feet.

He informed the audience at an air traffic control convention near Washington that their goal was to have commercial business up and running in 2017. Among the growing number of companies intending to make package delivery by drone a reality are Google and Amazon.com Inc.

However drone deliveries are not expected to take flight till the FAA final rules for commercial drone operation which are predicted early next year. Two years after the research first started, Project Wing had been announced with YouTube video, in August 2014, showing a field test of its most practical prototype in Australia.

New Kinds & Shape of Vehicle As Project Develops

The prototype flown in Australia at 1.5 meters wide and 0.8 meters tall, shares the same design of four propeller quad copter as popular consumer drones. However the company informs that consumers could expect to see new kinds and shapes of vehicle as the project develops.

Project Wings has conducted testing with NASA inside United States. Co-chair of FAA task force, Vos, charged with coming up with drone registry, stated that a system for identifying drone operators as well as keeping UAV away from the other aircraft can be set up within a period of 12 months. He stated that they are much on an operation function with the FAA and working with the small UAV community together with the aviation community in moving things along.

He is of the belief that they can accomplish a lot in the next 3, 6, 12 months and are hoping to get some strong support in making this happen. He narrated that a drone registry which the Obama administration expects to set in place by December 20, would be a leading step to a system which would utilise wireless telecommunications as well as Internet technology comprising of cellphone application in identifying drones and keeping UAV clear of other aircrafts as well as controlled airspace.

Possibility of Controlling Class G

He also said that Google will like to view low altitude `Class G’ airspace stamped out for drones, stating that it would keep UAC free from most of the manned aircraft besides low flying helicopters while permitting drones to fly over highly populated locations.

He added that there seems a lot that can be done in this market space. He informed that the FAA together with the other stakeholders are on the lookout for possibility of controlling Class G airspace through, for profit airspace services providers that would be utilising wireless communication in order to co-ordinate drone flights and link with the air traffic control system for the manned aircraft.

Google Snaps Off Titan Aerospace From Facebook

Google has take over the company Titan Aerospace, which develops the drone to bring Internet access to remote areas. Actually Facebook is supposed to be bought the Titan aero space, which also had interest in the similar area.

Titanium Aerospace manufactures drones, which are powered by solar energy, can stay for five years in the air and fly at high altitude. The company has now taken over for an unknown price by Google. It has about 20 employees and is intended to remain in New Mexico, according to the Wall Street Journal reports.

Titanium Aerospace developed two unmanned aircraft to supply Internet and connecting larger areas. The smaller Solara 50 has a wingspan of 50 meters. An Airbus A320 has a wingspan of 34.10 meters. The large wing area is equipped with solar cells that are to win the necessary operating power for the aircraft.

At first it looked as if Google set for the Internet supply of remote areas on weather balloons, while Facebook is more interested in high-flying drones. But now Google seems to delight even for the technology. The Titan acquired by Google Aerospace builds drones. Industry rumored Facebook was also interested in the company.

Both the weather balloons and the flying drones are going to replace satellites and float in the upper atmosphere and staying relatively longer period. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the team of Titanium Aerospace will now work on Google's weather balloon hotspot Project Loon. The balloons are designed as floating Wi-Fi hotspots to bring the Internet into inaccessible regions of the world.

They are to be used at an altitude of 20 kilometers, where the wind speeds are relatively moderate. A balloon can provide an area with a diameter of about 40 kilometers. The balloons are powered by solar cells. Google had also taken over the past year with Makani a company that builds a flying wind turbine to generate electricity.

Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT) is called Makani and it was taken over by Google himself earlier. This is an unmanned aerial vehicle, on which several wind turbines are mounted. The aircraft is similar to a kite; it is attached to a cable on the ground on which it is held in the air.

The advantage is that the wind is blowing steadily at a higher altitude. Facebook had taken with Ascenta a company that developed an unmanned solar-powered aircraft. The team worked some with even at QinetiQ.

The company developed the Zephyr aircraft, which is already in use for several years and a wingspan of almost 23 meters, has a weight of only 50 kilograms. In 2008, the solar plane managed an unofficial drone world record when it was in the air over 82 hours. 2010 was the QinetiQ Zephyr for two weeks circling over the southwestern United States.