Candy drones
Google drones could one day deliver candy bars
Google’s Project Wing debuts drone prototypes.
OK, seriously, if Google was a person, I would totally be his No. 1 stalker. Or maybe it would be mine. I’m not sure. Companies are confusing that way.
What is clear is that the company has infiltrated almost every aspect of my life. I literally start my day by reaching over to my night stand to grab my Android Phone (powered by Google), and the first thing I click on is my Google Gmail.
After that, I usually scan through my Google Voice messages to see if I have any voice mails or texts, and then I go over to my laptop, power it up and open up Google Docs. If I need to go so much as a mile away from my house, I check Google Maps for directions. All my photos are backed up on Google Plus, and whenever I need to find out which movie that one actress is from, I Google it, of course.
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| Crystal Lindell |
I also use Google Chrome for all my browsing needs, and I Google Translate phrases like un jefe (a boss). And, don’t even get me started on all the makeup videos I watch on Google’s YouTube. Without them I would have never learned how to apply fake eyelashes or contour like Kim Kardashian. Heck, I even found the idea for this very column on Google News.
All this is to say that: a) Google has infiltrated my life like a virus, but in a good way. I think. And: b) I’m totally open to all of its new ideas. In fact, I’m pretty sure I even crave them.
And new ideas Google has. Last week it released a video on Youtube detailing it’s new “Project Wing.”
As the company says, “Project Wing is a Google[x] project that is developing a delivery system that uses self-flying vehicles.”
In other words, the company is working on drones that can deliver stuff right to your door step.
“As part of our research, we built a vehicle and traveled to Queensland, Australia for some test flights,” the company explains. “There, we successfully delivered a first aid kit, candy bars, dog treats, and water to a couple of Australian farmers.”
Yes, you read that right — they delivered candy bars, via drone.
It’s a pretty incredible idea when you think about it. Suddenly the idea of “impulse buy” has a whole new meaning, when goods can be bought online and dropped off at your house via a flying machine.
In the Google’s YouTube video, they demonstrate a test-flight, delivering dog food. An Australian farmer calls up and orders the food, and then Google deploys a white, plane-like drone to his house carrying the package. The drone then drops the box of dog food from midair and then flies back to drone HQ. I imagine it’s all very similar to what it was probably like to watch the first cell phone call years ago.
“Throughout history there have been a series of innovations that have each taken a huge chunk out of the friction of moving things around,” explains Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots, Google [x]. “Project Wing aspires to take another big chunk of the remaining friction out of moving things around in the world.“
The implications of this type of technology for the confectionery industry and the food industry as a whole are almost too insane to imagine. Would people really order their midnight chocolate cravings this way? Or could they get all their groceries via drone, and simply click on a couple candy bars before they submit their credit card information?
And of course, things like melted chocolate, and sticky gummies would have to be taken into account. How far could the drones fly? Would they be able to navigate a dense urban environment? Would people even trust drones to deliver their products?
Google admits in the video that the drones are still probably years away from being a mainstream product, but Project Wing is a strong prototype, and as they say, every great journey starts with a single flight — or something like that. If you want the exact quote, just Google it.
