Project Wing Alphabet Drone Delivery Project Overview

Project Wing is an Alphabet drone delivery project that aims to make same-day delivery a reality. It's a complex system that involves a lot of moving parts.

The project started in 2014, with a focus on delivering small packages to remote areas. Alphabet's goal was to make delivery faster and more efficient.

Project Wing's drones are designed to fly at speeds of up to 68 mph, and can carry packages weighing up to 3.3 pounds. They're equipped with advanced sensors and GPS to ensure safe navigation.

The project has undergone extensive testing, with over 1,000 flights conducted in Australia alone.

Here's an interesting read: Project Dash

Project Wing's history began in 2011 as a research project by Google X, a secret laboratory focused on developing moonshot technologies.

The project aimed to create a delivery system that could reach remote areas quickly and efficiently, reducing the reliance on traditional transportation methods.

Google X partnered with the Australian government to test the project's feasibility in a real-world setting, selecting a rural area in Queensland as the test site.

The project's development involved collaboration with local authorities, residents, and emergency services to ensure a smooth and safe testing process.

In 2016, the Australian government granted a conditional permit for Project Wing to conduct commercial drone deliveries in the country.

The original Project Wing X drone had to be redesigned due to stability problems while hovering, which was revealed by Google X director Astro Teller in 2015.

In 2015, Google X director Astro Teller revealed the original drone had to be redesigned due to suffering from stability problems while hovering.

The project is subsequently rumored to have suffered some setbacks, supposedly being scaled back in 2016 after a proposed partnership with coffee chain Starbucks broke down.

However, news of late seems to be more positive, with a series of successfully completed tests that take Project Wing nearer to being a working system.

Alphabet did shutter the solar drone division formed by its Titan Aerospace acquisition in 2014, with staff redistributed across Project Loon, Project Wing and other Google X divisions.

The Rudy Project Wing Fit helmet has a noticeably snug fit over the rider's ears, which is a unique feature compared to other aero helmets from Rudy Project, Kask, Bell, and Giro.

The Rudy Project Wing has a rich history, and understanding its development is key to appreciating its current form.

The previous model, Wing57, was a precursor to the current design, but its shape was not as sleek and its color schemes lacked aesthetic appeal.

A notable milestone was the introduction of the current model, Wing, in 2019, with public availability in 2020 and 2021.

The next model, Rudy Project WingDream, is set to be released in March 2024, marking the next chapter in the Wing's evolution.

Here's a brief summary of the Wing's model history:

The Rudy Project Wing's initial verdict is that it's an improvement over previous versions of the brand's aero offering.

Getting the helmet on and comfortably situated is slightly more challenging compared with other helmets.

We're curious and a bit excited to race in the Rudy Project Wing throughout the spring and summer.

Distances will vary from 15km to 40km, providing a good test of the helmet's performance.

Project Wing drones are a cross between a plane and a helicopter, with both rotors and fixed wings, designed to take off and land vertically while traveling further than traditional quadcopters.

Their bespoke propellers are designed to minimize noise, an important feature for use in residential areas.

The drones' maximum speed is 120km per hour, which is a significant improvement over traditional quadcopters.

Their wingspan is less than 1.5 meters, making them compact and easy to maneuver.

Discover more: Wing Delivery Drones

The Rudy Project Wing helmet has some impressive features that make it stand out. The face shield on the front of the helmet provides an impressive field of view.

The Wing's design includes magnetic points that keep the eye shield and front vent plug in place, which is a thoughtful touch. This ensures that everything stays secure and doesn't come loose during use.

The Wing weighs in at 381g for a size small/medium, which is 11g more than its predecessor. This is a relatively small increase in weight, especially considering the additional aero features.

Here's a comparison of the Wing's weight to some other helmets in its class:

The Wing is priced at $399, which is a bit steep but may be worth it for those seeking an aero advantage.

Project Wing drones are capable of flying impressive distances. The maximum distance they've flown during tests was about 14km round-trip.

In most cases, these drones typically travel around 10km to make deliveries, which is still a significant distance.

Their ability to cover this ground makes them well-suited for use in various settings.

Project Wing's delivery drones fly up to 400 feet above the ground.

This altitude allows for a good balance between visibility and safety.

The specific flight altitude of Project Wing's drones is 400 feet, which is a significant height but still within the range of most visual line-of-sight.

Project Wing's drones have multiple redundancies, including backup motors, batteries, and navigation systems, which can be bought online to keep the drone airborne in case of failure. This ensures the highest levels of safety for the aircraft.

Project Wing's UTM traffic management system automatically handles drone flight paths, planning and clearing routes, and resolving conflicts with other aircraft. This system uses data from Google Maps, Earth, and Street View to understand physical terrain and navigate around obstacles.

The UTM platform can manage the flight paths of multiple drones at once, allowing a single operator to look after multiple drones without manual intervention. This is made possible by the large number of backend systems that the UTM platform draws upon.

Project Wing's drones use sensors and software to avoid collisions with other drones and obstacles, and their route is mapped by the UTM platform to ensure safe navigation.

Project Wing drones have a top priority on safety, with redundant systems such as motors, batteries, and navigation systems that can be bought online by intelligent controls to keep the drone airborne.

Everything has a backup, which is reassuring. This means that even if one system fails, the drone can still fly safely.

In a series of tests held by NASA and the FAA in 2017, Project Wing drones demonstrated their ability to automatically handle flight paths and resolve conflicts with other aircraft. This was a crucial test of their Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system.

The UTM platform uses data from Google Maps, Earth, and Street View to understand the physical terrain and navigate around obstacles. This is a powerful tool that helps the drones avoid collisions.

Project Wing's UTM system can handle the flight paths of multiple drones at once, making it possible for a single operator to look after multiple drones. This is a necessary capability for a large-scale drone delivery service.

The system draws upon a large number of backend systems to manage the flight paths of multiple drones. This includes data from Google's cloud of millions of servers, which provides the computing power needed to handle the complex task.

In the future, Alphabet envisions that the UTM system will allow various hobbyist and commercial drone operators to safely fly craft in the same airspace. This will require collaboration and coordination between regulators, the aviation community, drone operators, and manufacturers.

This is a critical step towards making drone delivery a reality. With the estimated 1.6 million commercial drones in use by 2021, managing the growing number of drones safely and securely in the sky is a major challenge.

Project Wing's drone delivery tests have been conducted in various locations, but the majority have taken place in Australia.

The first public tests were held in Queensland, Australia, in 2014, and since 2016, Project Wing has completed thousands of test flights of its drones.

Project Wing conducted its first large-scale drone delivery to members of the public in September 2016, in Virginia, USA.

However, Alphabet has continued to concentrate its drone testing on Australia, and has been making direct deliveries to homes in the rural Googong area outside of the city of Canberra since fall 2017.

The trials in Australia have seen Project Wing drones ferrying packages to residents in the New South Wales region, including alpaca farmers, math professors, equestrians, and artists.

In early 2018, Project Wing expanded its testing area to the neighboring region of Tuggeranong, which includes more built-up districts and homes with smaller backyards.