Google today revealed it has been working on a top-secret drone delivery program for the last two years. Nick Roy, an MIT roboticist on sabbatical for two years, has been leading the project based in Australia.
Google has developed a tail sitter aircraft, capable of VTOL transitioning to forward flight.
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The reason for selecting a VTOL design is understandable, and it's great that they seem to have solved the vertical/horizontal flight envelop transition. But in the end, power density/weight, and thrust/payload will be what limits it's current technical practicality. Battery technology will need to improve significantly before this delivery method becomes practically viable..
@Jiro, Gary, actually if what the (srouce) article says is right, i.e. google developed this two years ago and it was tested in secret for the last two years in Australia : they are thus the first, way before VertiKUL. Another factor plays in their favor (unfortunately for small peons like us) : size and money. You could also bet they have patents all over the place to protect their innovation...
The only good positive collateral advantrage we can get out of this is the fact that these two giants buzy with drone plans (Amazon, google) will force the laws and FAA to authorize UAV commercial activities.
There have been stacks of tail sitters its not a new idea.
Boeings Heliwing flew in 1955, just once though.
This one is the best out there at the minute IMHO
Higher payload -> multicopters but shorter range (until longer lasting batteries for the same weight).
Lower payload -> wings (better be VTOL) with longer range. Not sure about hovering in gusty conditions too ;)
Another article:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/google-joins-amazon-in-dre...
The stability shown in the videos is just amazing!
Spot on Jiro.
Nice, but we have vertiKUL:-)
Thanks to team at University of Leuven.
I guess it can fly farther and faster than standard multicopter.
Go team Australia
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