Google
has built and tested autonomous aerial vehicles, which it believes could be
used for goods deliveries.
The
project is being developed at Google X, the company's clandestine tech research
arm, which is also responsible for its self-driving car.
Project
Wing has been running for two years, but was a secret until now.
Google
said 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, to take small items such as medicines or batteries to people in
areas that conventional vehicles cannot reach.
"Even
just a few of these, being able to shuttle nearly continuously could service a
very
large number of people in an emergency situation," explained Astro
Teller, Captain of Moonshots - Google X's name for big-thinking projects.
Australia tests
Google's
self-flying vehicle project was first conceived of as a way to deliver
defibrillator kits to people suspected of having heart attacks. The idea was
that the drones would transport the equipment faster than an ambulance could.
"When
you have a tool like this you can really allow the operators of those emergency
services to add an entirely new dimension to the set of tools and solutions
that they can think of," said Dave Voss, incoming leader of Project Wing.
Project Wing
The
Project Wing trials have been held in Australia's north-eastern state
Queensland
The
prototype vehicles that the company has built have successfully been tested by
delivering packages to remote farms in Queensland, Australia from neighbouring
properties.
Australia
was selected as a test site due to what Google calls "progressive"
rules about the use of drones, which are more tightly controlled in other parts
of the word.
Dual mode
Project
Wing's aircraft have a wingspan of approximately 1.5m (4.9ft) and have four
electrically-driven propellers.
The
total weight, including the package to be delivered, is approximately 10kg
(22lb). The aircraft itself accounts for the bulk of that at 8.5kg (18.7lb).
The
small, white glossy machine has a "blended wing" design where the
entire body of the aircraft provides lift.
The
vehicle is known as a "tail sitter" - since it rests on the ground
with its propellers pointed straight up, but then transitions into a horizontal
flight pattern.
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BBC's
Nigel Cassidy reported on Amazon's drone project in December
This
dual mode operation gives the self-flying vehicle some of the benefits of both
planes and helicopters.
It
can take off or land without a runway, and can hold its position hovering in
one spot. It can also fly quickly and efficiently, allowing it to cover larger
distances than the more traditional quadcopter vehicles available commercially.
The
vehicles are pre-programmed with a destination, but then left to fly themselves
there automatically.
This
differs from many military drone aircraft, which are often remotely controlled
by a pilot on the ground, sometimes on the other side of the world.
Eventually
Google said it could use unmanned flying vehicles to deliver shopping items to
consumers at home. That's a use that retail giant Amazon has already stated an
interest in, with its proposed Prime Air service - the announcement of which
generated headlines at the end of last year:
Amazon
has asked the US Federal Aviation Administration for permission to conduct
outdoor tests.
Project Wing
Google
would not be permitted to carry out the Project Wing tests in the US
"The
things we would do there are not unlike what is traditionally done in
aerospace," said Mr Voss.
"It
will be clear for us what level of redundancy we need in the controls and
sensors, the computers that are onboard, and the motors, and how they are able
to fail gracefully such that you don't have catastrophic problems
occurring."
Other
unusual vehicles have been investigated for humanitarian aid, including flying
cars and hoverbikes, with the same aims of reaching cut-off areas quickly.
"We
will have to see what kind of specific technology works best within the aid
landscape, and if the new technology can integrate positively in the local
context," said Lou Del Bello from news site SciDev.net, speaking about the
category in general.
"It
will need to demonstrate it can be cost effective, and respond to actual needs
of local people."
BBC
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