Video of Google’s Project Wing delivery drone has surfaced online.
Aaref Hilaly of Sequoia Capital posted a video on Twitter showing a drone dropping off a package before flying off.
He also noted in the post that the Google X team behind the project are claiming the drone is able to travel five miles in five minutes.
Last year Google announced it had been working on the project, which rivals Amazon’s own delivery drone initiative, for two years.
https://twitter.com/statuses/656173821339172864
Related: Flying a drone
The company envisioned that the drones, although capable of delivering products to consumers, could be used in disaster relief efforts to provide supplies to those in need.
Project Wing drones were initially said to have a wingspan of five feet and include electrically-driven propellers, an on-board GPS, cameras, and radios.
The drones also feature an inertial measurement sensor to help them determine their position and can take off vertically, like a helicopter, then flatten out like an aeroplane for the journey.
Google says that they will eventually be controlled by both the on-board computer and people.
(YouTube)cRTNvWcx9Oo(/YouTube)
The project looks to be coming along well if the video is any indication. Still, with authorities in the US becoming increasingly interested in regulating drone usage there may be several hurdles ahead for the Google X team.
We’d also like to see how the delivery drone fairs against the Drone Defender.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
