Google X’s Project Wing Aims for Drone Delivery Service in 2017

Summary: Google X, Google's division for "moonshot" projects, aims for liftoff of its Project Wing drone delivery service in 2017.

Google X's Project Wing dates back to 2012: Raymond Durk @Raymond Durk, via Twitter Nov. 3, 2015

Google X, Google’s division for “moonshot” projects, is goaling toward 2017 as liftoff for the company’s Project Wing drone delivery service.

Project Wing is conferring with the Federal Aviation Administration about putting in place an air traffic control system for drones that coordinates unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights at altitudes below 500 feet (152 meters). The drone air traffic control system is to be based on cellular and internet technology.

“Our goal is to have commercial business up and running in 2017,” David Vos, leader of Project Wing, explains to an audience at the 60th Air Traffic Control Conference and Exposition, held from Nov. 1 to 4, 2015, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

Google’s secret drone delivery program, Project Wing, is revealed in an exclusive, written by Alexis C. Madrigal, a contributing editor for The Atlantic, and published in The Atlantic on Aug. 28, 2014. Dating back to launching of Project Wing in 2012, two years of 30 test flights culminate in a test delivery of dog treats to Neil Parfitt at his cattle ranch outside of Warwick, in northeastern Australia’s southeastern Queensland, on Aug. 28, 2014. One of Project Wing’s drone delivery prototypes covers the preprogrammed, half-mile stretch between Google X’s launch site and Parfitt’s remote ranch and switches to hover mode to drop the treats via a thin line gently to the ground. A small module at the end of the line releases the package. The line retracts, and Google X’s prototype reverts to flying posture for a successful return flight to the launch site.

In addition to Neil Parfitt’s dog treats, the Project Wing drone delivery tests in Queensland successfully transport other shipments, such as candy bars, radios, cattle vaccines and water, to locals. Delivery of consumer products is not Project Wing’s only mission. An early mission, back in 2012, delivers defibrillators to heart attack victims.

Google X tackles ambitious, world-changing projects, termed moonshots, as a research and development facility founded in 2010 by Mountain View, California-based, American multinational technology giant, Google Inc.

“Moonshots live in the gray area between audacious projects and pure science fiction; instead of mere 10 percent gains, they aim for 10x improvements,” Google explains. “The combination of a huge problem, a radical solution, and the breakthrough technology that might just make that solution possible is the essence of a Moonshot.”

The long-term goal of Google X’s aerial moonshot project, Project Wing, is disaster relief deliveries to isolated areas. Project Wing’s moonshot prototypes are envisioned as deliverers of small items, such as batteries or medicines, to inaccessible, remote areas devastated by extreme weather events.

“Even just a few of these, being able to shuttle nearly continuously could service a very large number of people in an emergency situation,” Astro Teller, day-to-day director of Google X laboratories, explains in an interview with BBC News published Aug. 28, 2014.

Google X's photo of Project Wing's test delivery of a treat for Neil Parfit's dog Aug. 28, 2014, in Queensland, northeastern Australia: The Team at X @Theteamatx, via Twitter Sept. 16, 2014

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Google X's Project Wing dates back to 2012: Raymond Durk @RaymondDurk, via Twitter Nov. 3, 2015, @ https://twitter.com/RaymondDurk/status/661729533477961728

Google X's photo of Project Wing's test delivery of a treat for Neil Parfit's dog Aug. 28, 2014, in Queensland, northeastern Australia: The Team at X @Theteamatx, via Twitter Sept. 16, 2014, @ https://twitter.com/Theteamatx/status/511924348434022400

For further information:

Albanesius, Chloe. "Google Project Wing Testing Deliveries by Drone." PCMag Digital Edition. Aug. 28, 2014.
Available @ https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2465632,00.asp

Frankel, Todd C. "Biggest obstacle for delivery drones isn't the technology: It's you and me." The Washington Post. Jan. 6, 2016.
Available @ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/biggest-obstacle-for-delivery-drones-isnt-the-technology-its-you-and-me/2016/01/06/e4cae052-aa81-11e5-9b92-dea7cd4b1a4d_story.html

Google @Google. "Introducing Project Wing from Google[x], a new approach to delivery using self-flying vehicles." Twitter. 28 Aug. 2014.
Available @ https://twitter.com/google/status/505131877930237952

Google - Project Wing. "Google's Project Wing." Facebook. Aug. 29, 2014.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1392906027617499&id=1392866567621445

Griffith, Eric. "5 Moonshot Projects Just Crazy Enough to Work." PCMag > News & Analysis > Special Reports > Science & Space. Feb. 18, 2014.
Available @ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2453259,00.asp

Madrigal, Alexis C. "Inside Google's Secret Drone-Delivery Program." The Atlantic > Technology > Archive. Aug. 28, 2014.
Available @ http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/08/inside-googles-secret-drone-delivery-program/379306/?single_page=true

Morgan, David. "Google aims to begin drone package deliveries in 2017." Reuters > Technology. Nov. 3, 2015.
Available @ http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drones-alphabet-idUSKCN0SR20520151103

Raymond Durk @RaymondDurk. "Alphabet's Project Wing plans to have a commercial drone business up and running by 2017 says head of Google X unit." Twitter. Nov. 3, 2015.
Available @ https://twitter.com/RaymondDurk/status/661729533477961728

Stewart, Jack. "Google tests drone deliveries in Project Wing trials." BBC News > Technology. Aug. 28, 2014.
Available @ http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28964260

The Team at X @Theteamatx. "The race to perfect the delivery drone is on." Twitter. Sept. 16, 2014.
Available @ https://twitter.com/Theteamatx/status/511924348434022400

Tech News ANewslinesTech. "Google unveils secretive drone delivery program dubbed 'Project Wing.'" Twitter. Nov. 10, 2015.
Available @ https://twitter.com/NewslinesTech/status/664190228932853760

X: The Moonshot Factory. "Introducing Project Wing." YouTube. Aug. 28, 2014.
Available @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRTNvWcx9Oo