Googles Research and Development Division

Google Technologies in Research and Development
Google is currently spending billions on research and development in order to stay competitive in the tech industry. This paper will discuss five technologies that Google is currently working on. These are: 1) the Self-Driving Automobile, 2) Project Wing (a drone delivery project), 3) Smart Contact Lenses, 4) Project Loon (which aims to provide Internet service via balloon), and 5) Google Nest—aka Home Automation and Smart Thermostats.
Self-Driving Automobile
The self-driving or autonomous automobile is a technology that major auto manufacturers like Tesla and Uber are currently working on. Google’s self-driving automobile is known as Waymo, which stands for “a new way forward in mobility” (Waymo, 2018). The self-driving car is believed to be a solution to accident rate, which indicates that almost all but 10% of all car accidents are caused by operator error (Mearian, 2013). Thus, the autonomous vehicle is meant to reduce the rate of operator risk. However, even self-driving cars get into accidents and the latest—this one by Uber—resulted in the death of a pedestrian who was run over by the self-driving Uber car (Hutchinson & Cook, 2018). The safety features touted by the autonomous car industry appear less robust and stout in the face of accidents like this one—and that makes this one of the main challenges that Google faces with its Waymo project.
Google’s autonomous car technology is designed to get commuters around where they need to go, safely and affordably, without the commuter actually having to drive the car. The car will drive itself. This type of technology already exists in some cars—like in Tesla’s—and other autos have self-parking options that allow the car to park itself using sensors and cameras so that the driver does not have to try to see how close he is getting to other objects using rear view mirrors. The car’s technology does it all. Google is now in the testing phase of this technology, the development of which got underway in 2009 (Waymo, 2018). Using software and sensors that are strategically placed in the car, Google’s autonomous vehicle will identify other cars, road work, pedestrians, and anything else that is around it from a distance of 300 yards. The car’s software is programmed to react to every type of encounter as the coding algorithms within the software are based on data collected from millions of real-world experiences (Waymo, 2018).
Still, safety is a top concern—especially in the light of Uber’s suspension of all testing in the wake of the death of a pedestrian struck by a self-driving Uber car. Google must find a way to ensure a now skeptical public that autonomous vehicles are safe. Overcoming this challenge will require Google to do more extensive testing and to take part in a marketing campaign designed to reassure skeptical consumers.
At the same time, some consumers actually enjoy driving themselves and may balk at this type of intrusive technology. Thus, while the potential positive impacts of this technology on society are that, theoretically, it makes roads safer for drivers and pedestrians (though that still remains to be seen), the negative impacts are that it robs drivers of the delight of being able to drive a car themselves and further places limitations on what was once thought to be a free society—especially if the autonomous car is ruled the only means of lawful transportation in the coming years. If this happens, Google could face some serious backlash from car enthusiasts all over the country. So though Bailey (2014) claims there is a moral imperative for autonomous cars to be ushered in, the reality is that this imperative is largely idealistic and utopian. The technology’s ability is far from guaranteed.
Project Wing
Project wing is Google’s drone-based delivery system project that is designed to allow packages to be delivered by drones instead of by people in FedEx, UPS or USPS trucks (Ingraham, 2014). The drones have their routes programmed into them ahead of time and then, like the autonomous cars (drones are essentially like the self-driving vehicles of the sky), they use sensors and software to get where they are going. To facilitate and support navigation, Google is developing a traffic management platform that is meant to make this delivery system safe for the drones, for people on the ground and in the skies, and for other aircraft (Project Wing, 2018).
Challenges that Google could face from this technology are similar to the challenges it will face with Waymo. Safety is the number one concern: if drones fly into other obstacles or cause problems for sky traffic, there is a considerable risk to allowing drones guided by software and overseen by an autonomous platform to operate in the skies. Google will have to prove that its products are safe with extensive testing that goes on for years.
Suggestions for overcoming this challenge are to simply get to the testing phase and work out all the problems that arise as they arise. Also, it may be wise to simply forego the autonomous traffic management platform and have people actually staff this platform just like airlines use people to control air traffic. In spite of what some claim about accidents being caused by operator error, software and robots are still designed by people and errors can easily be programmed into a machine. So having an intelligent person on stand-by could actuall work to reduce risk.
The positives of this technology are that it allows packages to be delivered to otherwise hard to reach and out of the way areas. It can save companies time and money when it comes to making deliveries on time. It can also help people by getting important packages—such as medicine—to people in a shorter amount of time (Project Wing, 2018). This technology is also unlikely to have a negative footprint on the environment, other than in terms of e-waste if drones are not recycled. The negative impact of this technology is that is could lead to the replacement of more delivery jobs by robots—drones that are pre-programmed to fly to the scheduled destination. The more reliant on robots that society becomes, the less efficient it may also become in terms of employing people.
The ethical and moral impact of this technology is a two-way sword: on the one hand, it could help people in need obtain the deliveries they require in a timely manner. On the other hand, this technology has the potential to put a lot of people out of work because if a robot can do it more cheaply and quickly, why hire a person and have to pay all those expenses? In fact, this was Uber’s aim in developing the autonomous car—with self-driving vehicles it believed it could save money by not having to pay actual drivers. This certainly seems unethical from a humanist perspective.
Smart Contact Lenses
Google’s smart contact lenses were initiated in 2014 (Otis & Parviz, 2014) and are designed to help people who suffer from diabetes to more effectively monitor their blood sugar levels (Farandos, Yetisen, Monteiro et al., 2014). The lens itself has a small microchip with a glucose sensor that sits in between two layers of the contact lens. The sensor measures glucose levels in the tears of the eye and in this way it assists people with diabetes in knowing where their blood sugar levels are throughout the day. The lenses then will communicate with an early warning system that allows the wearer to be alerted if the chip detects a drop in blood sugar so that the individual can take appropriate action to address the situation.
The challenges that Google could face in implementing this technology stem mainly from the FDA, which has oversight of all health-related products (Otis & Parviz, 2014). For this one, there will have to be extensive testing conducted in order to show that the product is safe and effective (i.e., that it actually does what it says it will do). In other words, Google is in the same boat with this product that it is in with its other products, like the drone and the autonomous car—both of which have to be proven to be safe and effective before they will be adopted by the mainstream market.
Suggestions for overcoming these challenges are the same: there is no way around testing, so Google must follow FDA protocols and conduct the tests with the appropriate sample sizes in order to show regulators that these lenses work safely and effectively. These tests can take years to study and so it is unlikely that this product will be seen on the shelves anytime soon. However, once all tests and paperwork have been filed and the FDA signs off on the lenses, Google should be good to go with this health care product. It isn’t likely to have an impact on the environment and there are not any ethical or moral issues associated with it, so this product might actually be one of Google’s less controversial ones—and that means it could have a better chance of catching on with the public.
The positive impacts of this product, of course, are that it helps diabetes patients monitor their own health and diabetes symptoms. They can also be used by physicians and nurses to assist patients who are struggling to monitor their blood sugar. However, one of the negative impacts of this product is that it might only be welcomed by people already used to wearing contact lenses. For diabetes patients who are older, this might present a problem especially if they prefer wearing glasses rather than contact lenses.
Nonetheless, for managers, this product could be helpful in that it allows workers to be monitored for safety reasons, and in a management system anytime safety is improved, the system benefits. Aside from this, there are no real privacy or security issues to be feared related to this product.
Project Loon
Project Loon is an air-balloon based Internet service developed by Google that aims to address the issue of information gap caused by a lack of Internet access among half the world’s population. This technology consists of a network of balloons that hover over the planet near where Earth meets space. From this high altitude, the balloons will transmit an Internet feed to remote locations all over the globe so that more people can have Internet access (Project Loon, 2018). Google transmitters on the ground beam Internet to the balloons in space and these balloons relay the signals from one to the other and then down to Internet users on the ground. So far Google has tested some 25 kilometers of balloon flights. The longest a single balloon has remained in flight was for 190 days (Project Loon, 2018).
The main challenge that Google faces with this technology is consistency. A balloon can stay in the stratosphere for a number of months but service may not always be the best and balloons may fall from the sky depending on any number of circumstances. Recognizing the problems that balloons will encounter and improving their design so that they can last longer is an obstacle that has to be overcome. The other challenge Google faces with this technology is proprietary: i.e., it has been sued for patent infringement by Space Data, a small company that has patent to a similar product (Harris, 2017).
Overcoming these challenges will first require Google to differentiate its product, improve it or alter it so that it does not use Space Data’s patent. Or perhaps Google can settle the suit out of court or simply purchase the patent rights from Space Data. This might be the easiest solution that would allow Project Loon to continue to move forward. This would also allow Google to address ethical issues about using another company’s proprietary technology and keep Google from violating Space Data’s intellectual rights.
The potential positive impacts on society for this technology are that it helps to close the information gap and get more Internet service to more people around the planet. The potential negative effects of this technology are that it leads to more pollution for the environment when balloons pop and fall to the earth. If hundreds of thousands of balloons are released this could pose a significant threat to the environment. Balloon technology should be developed that can disintegrate upon popping or else use ingredients that are biodegradable.
There are also security concerns that might need to be addressed such as whether the balloons are being used to spy on other countries. Some governments would like safeguards or guarantees against this measure. For managers, these balloons could be helpful, however, especially if they are working with teams across the planet at remote destinations. Having Internet access could help to improve the effectiveness of the team and so this technology could be a great resource for management systems and for managers looking to have better communications with workers in the field.
Google Nest
Google Nest is a technology that allows one to essentially automate a house: everything can be linked up to Nest—from doorbells to timers to locks to thermostats. It basically turns the home into a smart home. By adding Nest products like Nest Thermostat, Nest Protect or Nest Cam, the products notice one another and communicate with each other to add efficiency to the home’s functioning (Nest, 2018). Once the home is Nested, the home owner can talk to the Nest and tell it to set the temperature of the home to the desired setting and the home’s Nest equipment will do all the work. Lights, locks and more can be set in this manner.
The challenges with this product are that the more systems are integrated the more complex they can become for individuals who prefer simplicity and sometimes too much of a good thing ends up being a bad thing. The other challenge is that there is a limited market for this type of technology: The Economist (2016) reports that smart-home technology is not likely to be adopted by wide swaths of the market in the years to come as it does not really bring any practical enhancements that are revolutionary. Thus simply getting these products off the shelves into consumer’s hands might require some creative marketing.
The recommendation therefore for Google is to advertise the Nest in a way that makes it seem like the next great thing that new homeowners will absolutely require: the marketing should focus on the neat perks associated with Nest and how it can accentuate the modern living lifestyle. Some issues about privacy and security may have to be addressed especially in the wake of the Facebook data breach scandal. Homeowners will want to be sure that their information is not being harvested by Google. There are also ethical and moral issues associated with this technology, as it may be prone to hacking—so Google must have an ethical statement showing that it will not hack or invade home owners’ Nest software.
The positive aspects of this technology are that it can help bring people’s homes together in a unique and technological way that has never before been accomplished. It could also be used to help solve problems of integrating technology in the home. One negative aspect however is that it places home owners more at the mercy of integrated frameworks and linked software and hardware. Once these tools are implemented, it is difficult to get away from them. Too much dependency on technology can also reduce one’s sense of nature. Nest may also add more e-waste to the environment, as new technology is consumed to replace old technology, which is tossed and left to sit in landfills where e-waste does not biodegrade. In order for Nest to truly make a difference in the marketplace, it should set about addressing green energy issues as well so that consumers who are conscious of environmental issues will be more enticed by this new technology.
Managers may like the Nest in their offices if it helps them to better control their office settings, so to this extent it could be a very useful product. Google might like to market Nest more to businesses and offices because of its centralized control platform that would allow for all devices to be networked and integrated. Throughout a large business this type of control mechanism could really help the workplace to be more efficient in terms of both time and energy, and less time and energy consumption means more profits in the long run for the company. Thus, Nest could be advertised as a way to improve a bottom line and reduce cost for managers.
Conclusion
Google has created some new innovative technologies but they are far from being a guaranteed hit. For example, Google Nest has not quite found a market and the autonomous automobile may never make it to market if it cannot be demonstrated to operate safely. When accidents occur during test runs in which pedestrians are killed, it raises a big red flag and causes investors to second guess their investment. For that reason, Google should continue with its tests—with Waymo as well as with Project Wing so that it can show that these new robotic technologies are safe and effective. As the future looks more and more towards hi-tech solutions to issues that people face in 1st world environments, the price of turning to more technology for solutions may prove too steep in the long run.
GOOGLE TECHNOLOGIES IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 1

Thus, Google may want to begin researching and developing products that fit more in line with practical needs—such as software that can help computers be better protected from viruses and malware, or products that can help people safeguard their online information. The Cloud was a good development that allowed managers to better work with employees and get all the information into one place—so more products like this would be highly helpful in the future.
References
Bailey, R. (2014). The moral case for self-driving cars. Retrieved from http://reason.com/archives/2014/07/28/the-moral-case-for-self-drivin

Economist. (2016). Where the smart is. Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/news/business/21700380-connected-homes-will-take-longer-materialise-expected-where-smart

Farandos, N., Yetisen, A., Monteiro, M. et al. (2014). Contact lens sensors in ocular diagnostics. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 4, 792-810.

Harris, M. (2017). The lawsuit that could pop Alphabet’s Project Loon. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/the-lawsuit-that-could-pop-alphabets-project-loon-balloons/

Hutchinson, B. & Cook, J. (2018). Woman killed by self-driving Uber car identified, as company suspends testing. Retrieved from https://www.yahoo.com/gma/self-driving-uber-car-kills-arizona-bicyclist-police-173903910--abc-news-topstories.html

Ingraham, N. (2014). Google’s Project Wing is a secret, drone-based delivery system. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2014/8/28/6080369/googles-project-wing-is-a-secret-drone-based-delivery-system

Mearian, L. (2013). Self-driving cars could save more than 21,700 lives, $450B a year. Retrieved from https://www.computerworld.com/article/2486635/emerging-technology/self-driving-cars-could-save-more-than-21-700-lives-450b-a-year.html

Nest. (2018). What is Nest? Retrieved from https://nest.com/works-with-nest/

Otis, B. & Parviz, B. (2014). Introducing our smart contact lens. Retrieved from https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/introducing-our-smart-contact-lens.html

Project Loon. (2018). What is Project Loon? Retrieved from https://x.company/loon/

Project Wing. (2018). What is Project Wing? Retrieved from https://x.company/projects/wing/

Waymo. (2018). The Google self-driving car concept. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/selfdrivingcar/