Google’s Project Wing drone delivery trial has been financially backed by the United States government, which believes the unmanned aircraft systems industry could create as many as 100,000 jobs.
As part of the government UAS development project, Project Wing will become operational at one of the Federal Aviation Authority’s test sites.
The drones will be tested with external cargo loads to devise a way to fly them beyond line of sight at the Northern Plains UAS test site in North Dakota.
Tests will go from the ground surface to 29,000 feet (8840 metres) in the air, without chase aircraft, to try out the use of faster and heavier UAS at high altitudes.
Google will also develop and deploy an open-interface airspace management solution for safe low altitude drone operations which uses existing, cheap and scalable communications and information technologies, the White House said.
Project Wing was first trialled near Warwick, south-east Queensland, in partnership with Unmanned Systems Australia.
Google conducted some 30 deliveries with the 1.5 metre wide and 0.8 metre tall drones flying at 40 to 60 metres in height to sites one kilometre away. The eight kilogram drones could carry a 2kg payload in the Queensland trial.
Source: IT News