Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s Drone Delivery System

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By Mark Michaels on August 29, 2014 Company, Technology & Software

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (GOOGL)’s latest technology endeavor that the company is embarking on is its delivery drones.

This space is already filled with competitors. Google’s advance research lab said yesterday on Thursday that it is developing drones to deliver goods. Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), one of Google’s biggest rivals in this space, is also venturing into the delivery drone space. Domino’s Pizza Inc (NASDAQ:DPZ) has been testing out deliveries pizza pies with drones since 2013.

According to Google X, the drones are 5 foot wide with a single wing. It prototype of the same dimensions from the group’s Project Wing carried supplies such as radios, water, dog treats, cattle vaccinations, and candy bars to two farmers located in Queensland, Australia. This experiment was conducted earlier this month.

The drones have a height of 2.5 feet, and have four separate propellers that move in differing directions depending on each different stage of flight. Packages can be placed into a gap in the fitted space in the center of the wing. According to Google, they began testing flights last year.

This trend of delivering via drone comes as a surprise, given that it is illegal to use drones for commercial reasons in the United States. However, the Federal Aviation Administration is considering modifying the laws regarding commercial drone usage. In June, the government entity approved the first commercial flight by a drone over land. This flight was conducted by the gasoline and energy titan BP (LON:BP) in Alaska. However, the Federal Aviation Administration is treading carefully because the drone technology poses many dangers to the country and brings up many concerns about privacy.

Since 2011, Google has been working on developing and improving its drones. According to the company, it could take multiple years to develop a service that uses multiple vehicles flying multiple deliveries each day.

Google’s goal for these drones is to have them programmed to flying pre programmed routes at 130 feet to 200 feet in altitude. These drones would operate at the push of a button, them fly the entire route by themselves. Accurate and precise navigation will be needed to determine the most efficient routes while minimizing noise, which will calm the concerns raised about noise and respecting the privacy and safety of individuals on the ground, all while completing its main goal of delivering items to their doorstep – a tiny landing area.

A video on YouTube released by Google provides a bit of a sneak peak into the product. In the video, Australian farmers are buying dog food online. As soon as they order, the drone flies to the sky vertically. Once it has reached a high enough altitude, the drone’s wings form a horizontal position, and the vehicle flies extremely quickly, resembling more of an airplane than a helicopter-like drone.

To lead this project, Google brought on board Nick Roy, an associate professor of astronautics and aeronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Roy had been working on this project since June of 2012, and has just returned to MIT earlier this month to resume teaching. Dave Vos, an experienced expert in automated aviation systems, took his place in Project Wing to continue working on making the product prototype into a commercial project.

Last year, Amazon announced that it was experimenting with using drones to deliver packages. The online retail giant asked the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this year to be able to test the drones in open airspace in the United States.

Amazon’s original prototypes appear to resemble typical drones, with smaller rotor blades arranged in a rectangular formation.

The ecommerce company hopes that the drones will be able to drop off items that weigh less than 5 pounds to locations that are within 10 miles from its warehouses. The company expects that the delivery process will take about 30 minutes.

Amazon has conceded that approval from regulators could take several years. Google and drone manufacturers 3D Robotics, Parrot SA, and DJI Innovations, as well as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP all are lobbying the government on the usage of drones involving civilians.

Ryan Calo, a professor of law at the University of Washington, studies robotics and privacy. He stated that it is unclear whether Google or Amazon or any other player in the delivery drone industry has the upper hand in terms of technology. However, he stated that Google has a long history of being more influential in terms of policy.

Early on in this year, the Federal Aviation Administration stated that it did not discuss autonomous delivery drones as a method of deliveries goods, which essentially cut short Google and Amazon’s efforts for now. However, Mr. Calo stated that both Amazon and Google have been working hard and making efforts to change the FAA’s opinion and to increase their opportunity for success.

These companies also face legal hurdles if they want to use the drones for commercial use. Experts in the industry as well as lawyers have brought up the legality of using drones within the airspace of homeowners, and questioned insurance issues.