Google has unveiled plans to launch its drone delivery service in 2017, with the company looking to rival Amazon’s own prospective e-commerce business.
Google announced “Project Wing” back in 2014, though has kept relatively quiet about the service since then. The project will see unmanned, self-flying drones delivering packages to customers, though there are still no details regarding what these packages will contain. Will Google create its own pool of resources that buyers can order from, as is the case with Amazon’s online store? Or will it only deliver specialist products?
The project has received trial runs in Australia, with the below video showing a group of Australian farmers having items delivered to them via drone:
David Vos, the executive in charge of Project Wing, said that the search engine giant was looking to debut the service in 2017. It will officially operate under Google’s new Alphabet holding company, and not only will it see Google entering into the drone delivery business, but they are also looking to completely transform the way such services will operate in the future by introducing an air traffic control system.
Working in conjunction with NASA, Google has developed the system in order to prevent the crashes and other such unfortunate incidents that have stifled drone delivery from becoming a viable prospect thus far. Amazon has faced regulatory issues in getting its own Amazon Prime Air service off the ground due to such concerns, but Google and NASA have already run tests that see their drones coordinating using cellular and Internet technology. This makes Project Wing a much safer prospect than its competitors.
With the drone registry set to be put in place within the next 12 months, Vos claims that Project Wing could therefore be ready to deliver by 2017. For those looking forward to a future in which their cat food can be delivered by a UAV, Google is busy working on making that implausible dream a reality.
