Google just announced 2017 as the planned launch date for its “Project Wing” drone delivery service.
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“Our goal is to have commercial business up and running in 2017”, he told an audience at an air traffic control convention near Washington.
The 25-member task force includes representatives from a number of aviation associations as well as from Amazon Prime Air, GoogleX and Walmart, which have expressed interest in drone delivery systems.
Video of the Google X delivery drone in action went viral earlier this month after Aaref Hilaly, a partner with Sequoia Capital, tweeted out video of a drone dropping off a small package in Arizona. Its drones could speed up how quickly it delivers those goods. On Monday, the project got its first public timeline.
Amazon has laid out its own plan for regulating drone traffic, which would dedicate a swath of airspace to drones with advanced navigation systems. Although the FAA has yet to codify its regulations about drone use, all companies in the US that want to use drones for a few sort of commercial purpose-whether that’s taking photos for a realtor or testing out a grocery-delivery service-must apply for an exemption through the FAA.
Despite Google’s aggressive release time line, rules surrounding drone regulation have not yet been solidified.
Congress asked the FAA back in 2012 to come up with rules, setting a September 30, 2015, deadline.
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Project Wing, one of the firm’s vaunted X Labs has been in testing for over a year, but very little is known about the drones thus far. Google said the technology could be used to collect images and offer online access to remote areas.
