Google technologies research and development in autonomous vehicles

Google has some of the most promising technologies in development, including driverless cars, delivery drones, wearable technology including smart glasses and contact lenses as well as smart clothing, stratospheric Internet, home automation, space elevators, and advanced robotics. While many of these projects “do not see the light of day” because they do not make it past the initial research phase, some certainly will (“10 Projects Showing Google Has The Future Figured Out,” n.d., p. 1). Driverless cars are on the brink of mass production and implementation, but several other Google technologies are worth researching for my final case studies because of their feasibility. The other four Google projects I would like to research include the delivery drones, modular phones, wearable tech, smart medicine, and Internet balloons.
Delivery drones are nothing new; Amazon has been toying with the idea for years (Ingham, 2014). However, Google Project Wing is not just about delivering packages to consumers. According to Ingham (2014), Google Project Wing develops its drones not just for commerce but also for humanitarian purposes: such as providing emergency relief supplies. The technology is surprisingly a long way away from being implemented due to regulations related to airspace and safety, but this technology does seem particularly promising for Google.
Project Ara is a modular phone system proposed by Google. The concept of Project Ara is to turn the ordinary smartphone into a modular device, which some have described as being similar to Lego (“10 Projects Showing Google Has The Future Figured Out,” n.d.). With a Project Ara device, the user can, for example, upgrade the entire camera, install a new battery easily, or add new speakers (Chokkatu, 2016).
Project Jacquard takes wearable tech to a whole new level. Particularly suited to people who run or cycle regularly, wearable clothing may be the wave of the future. With special threads woven into the fabric, users can interface with technology rather than having to carry around their devices (Chokkatu, 2016). The technology allows the fabrics to be machine-washable, and the technology can be controlled with gestures, which links this project with other hands-free gestural controls that comprise Project Soli (Chokkatu, 2016).
Google’s foray into biotech does not receive as much media attention as fun gadgets, but could become the most important innovations yet. According to Mack (2011), Google has at least one medical company using advanced technology such as “cellular reprogramming,” and speeding up yeast cell production in order to create antibodies.
Space elevators are one of the more outlandish technologies currently being researched as part of Google X. The principle behind space elevators is to allow for infrastructure to be sent up into space more efficiently, without the need for rocket propulsion (Mack, 2011). However, more down to earth is the Google Project Loon, which entails a system of stratospheric, solar-powered balloons that act as “a node between the base Internet Service Provider and those who have a receiver in their homes,” (“10 Projects Showing Google Has The Future Figured Out,” n.d.). The goal of Project Loon is to provide Internet to more of the world at a lower cost.
All these Google technologies have transformative potential. However, Google’s biotech projects have the greatest potential to improve society because of the ongoing need for advanced medical treatments and interventions. If Google scientists can discover ways of activating or deactivating cells or even altering DNA, it could be possible to witness major disease eradication in the near future. Furthermore, Google’s biotech projects could present fewer barriers to implementation as long as they are made accessible equally to all people. Many other Google technologies like driverless cars require major changes to public infrastructure or like Project Loon, require the collaboration of government.



References

“10 Projects Showing Google Has The Future Figured Out,” (n.d.). Hongkiat. https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/google-products-and-future/
Chokkatu, J. (2016). 6 underrated Google projects you may have missed. Digital Trends. May 25, 2016. https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/awesome-google-moonshot-projects/
Ingraham, N. (2014). Google's Project Wing is a secret, drone-based delivery system. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2014/8/28/6080369/googles-project-wing-is-a-secret-drone-based-delivery-system
Mack, E. (2011). Google future tech. CIO. https://www.cio.com/article/2401997/internet/google-future-tech--10-coolest-google-r-d-projects.html#slide5