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Seven steps into the Google vision (1)

December 3, 2015

Lately Google’s bold projects are all over the tech news since one by one they succeed in turning fringe technology into reality. A reality that illustrates the Google vision regarding the future of the Internet, the future of public transportation, of automation and so on. What are the main revolutionary projects coming from the tech giant, and how are these projects changing the world, as we know it?

Google X is the company’s R&D facility from Mountain View, CA – the place where almost all Google “moonshots” projects are being developed under the supervision of Sergey Brin, the current president of Alphabet. In October 2015 this division, also dubbed X Labs, became a direct independent subsidiary of Alphabet.

Some of the X Lab’s projects, as previously mentioned, are already in the public consciousness due to the interest they raise and to the clever advertising and publicizing campaigns involved in their launching. Project Loon, Project Wing or Project Deep Dream are all familiar to the online tech environment.

Since the R&D work ongoing at the above-mentioned facility is visionary – going through a few of the most renowned projects provides an overall image of the Google vision for the future.

  1. Project Loon

Entitled “Internet for Everyone”, Project Loon envisages a network of balloons designed to “stream” down Internet so as to connect people in remote areas and thus equalize Internet connectivity for all, regardless of their wealth, geographical coordinates or natural occurrences.

The balloons are supposed to float in the stratosphere and intervene wherever needed by descending from their home altitude (twice as high as airplanes, at heights of 18 – 25 km) using the winds as a propelling force.

Project Loon opened in June 2013 in New Zealand (the first beneficiary of the Loon internet signal being a farmer from the town of Leeston), and is currently testing its capacities via pilot tests. Google’s balloons aim at creating a network destined to offer mobile connectivity for smartphones and other LTE devices, in cooperation with telecommunications companies. The controller technology used for each balloon consists of a 10 kg (22 lb.) box, holding control circuit boards, radio antennas and an Ubiquiti Networks ‘Rocket M2. Matching ground signal receivers get the signal from the balloon transmitters. The box also includes the night power system for the balloon that stores solar power gathered during the day via the solar panels located outside the hardware area.

Project Loon costs are yet undeclared. The tests have provided good results and the registered incidents (mainly balloon crashes) were minor.

  1. Project Wing

Project Wing concerns drone delivery for commercial goods destined to reach people. It made its debut in 2014 by Google making tests in Australia. The latest news coming from its lead, David Voss, note that as early as 2017 the project should come to fruition.

As we have mentioned in previous articles, the main issue in drone deliveries consists of the regulations: the air traffic control system has to agree to exemptions in order for drones to be able to fly legally.

Considered one of the most exciting Google projects (although for a while it remained semi-secret), Project Wing’s tests successfully operated under NASA supervision and the team behind the project are looking forward for the FAA clearance.

As David Vos stated, the project needs clearance for low-altitude flying space (up to 14,500 feet), an area reserved for over-the-cities UaV flights and named the “Class G” air traffic area. Once the legal provisions would accommodate the needs of drone delivery, an upsurge is to be expected in what this Google project is concerned. As you may know, delivering merchandise by the use of a drone has successfully and officially been tested  in the U.S. this year and it is an already established practice in Australia, where the Post could make this the main delivery method for rural areas.

  1. Google Self Driving Car Project

The autonomous car project began at Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory: the first Google X team leader on this project developed a robotic vehicle called Stanley and won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge together with 15 other team members that were Google engineers. The design concept behind Stanley is available here – and it’s a feast for those passionate both in mechanics and computers. Following that breakthrough, in 2009 Google debuted its self-driving car and dedicated all their efforts to producing a viable and attractive autonomous transportation vehicle.

The years 2012 through 2014 represented testing years, but also a period when some U.S. states passed legislation that now allows such smart cars to circulate on the public roads. The testing fleet currently incorporates modified Lexus SUVs, as well as new prototype vehicles. The Google-developed custom cars feature equipment from suppliers such as Bosch, ZF Lenksysteme, LG, and Continental.

More recently, the Internet has familiarized many tech amateurs and visionaries with the consecrated image of Google’s driverless car. The new prototype has no steering wheel nor pedals and it attracts both the eye as the imagination of many enthusiasts.

The official smart car project page puts into context the creators’ efforts: from a way of transportation for visually impaired and aging people to the next possible means of transportation for cleaner, safer cities.

Joining dedicated software with a system of sensors that detect traffic elements, ranging from people to other vehicles, the Google car aims to provide a safe and smooth traveling experience.

According to Forbes, Google is currently the lead of this economic and tech sector, with a prediction of major near-future impact on the market. This statement is based upon an IHS Automotive report recently released. The same report authors mentioned that other driverless cars producers are speeding up their pace due to Google’s rapid advances – and the example given is Toyota’s investment of one billion $ into autonomous tech development.

The same source ventures into some middle-term interesting predictions, with 2020 or 2035 as reference years. The Google vision in what autonomous vehicles are concerned is clearly turning into reality, charging stations and adapted regulations included.

Here is an updated status on the Google cars regulatory issue in California – a state where the company has some concern about their innovative movement being stifled by restrictive regulations.

We have seen so far how, according to the Google vision, Internet signal is going to be available to all people, regardless of their geographical area and their wealth, how commercial (and probably also other types) of deliveries are to be made by drones, and how smart, automated vehicles are going to transport people through cleaner and more environment-friendly cities. Join us next week for the other 4 projects/steps in the Google tech universe.