Google Testing Delivery Drones

Earlier this year, Google purchased Titan Aerospace, a drone company, for $60 million and is now testing drones for delivery purposes. The Google drones are nearly translucent, with a five foot long wingspan and 2 ½ feet height. A series of propellers are used to shift the craft and make course corrections throughout the flight.

Other Drone Applications

Despite its primarily military usage, the civilian use for drones has become an ongoing issue. In the last two years, there have been attempts by police departments to use drones for surveillance, while other companies like Amazon.com, UPS and Domino’s have tested drones as delivery methods to get products to a consumer’s home fast. In the private sector, drones are being considered for other deliveries—such as medicines to sick or bed ridden people or in contaminated zones. The difficulty all these endeavors have faced, and eventually led to either the complete abandoning or indefinite suspension of these projects, is resistance from the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security, both of which consider these ventures to be problematic and potentially disastrous.

Two Minnesota ice fisherman used a drone to deliver more beer once they ran out. Unfortunately, the FAA has ordered the company using the drone to cease all operations.

Project Wing in Australia

Google’s drone program, dubbed Project Wing, prefer to call the drones “self-flying vehicles,” and have been testing them largely in Queensland, Australia where they were used to deliver water, a first aid kit, candy bars and dog treats to a pair of farmers.