Google’s sister company Wing designs drones to handle diverse payloads and the logistics industry can’t wait

Drones are already playing a matchless part in photography and videography, and they were supposed to revolutionize the logistics industry invariably. Delivery of goods using drones has not taken off as presumed when Amazon, for instance, tried testing the possibility. True, the aviation and government norms play a curbing part but majorly the limitation of payload capacity of drones is what has created a bottleneck to the inventive technique for small-scale experiments.

Amazon and Uber (in the near future) are likely to set up large-scale operations focusing on drones for delivery. Readying its fleet of flyers for that future, Alphabet Inc.’s subsidiary Wing has unveiled drone prototypes that will be capable of delivering cargo weighing as little as half a pound and as much as 7 pounds. This variation in weight means a tailored aircraft is necessary for several payloads: for instance, a drone designed to deliver prescription medication is not ideal for delivering a gallon of milk or a heavier package like a refrigerator.

Designer: Wing

It has been found that almost 90 percent of the drone deliveries happening today are of payloads weighing up to five pounds. Therefore, Wing’s idea of larger-sized drones that can manage heavier deliveries is a welcome message for the lingering industry. The company’s appropriately-sized fleet of aircrafts for appropriate packages will share the company’s existing design philosophy, which the company has been testing globally by way of Hummingbird – its flagship drone. Wing claims this drone can carry up to 2 pounds and has made thousands of delivers across the globe.

In the video, Wing shows off its new, different-sized drones including the industry-leading one capable of seven pounds of payload. The smaller one on display can take off with as little as 0.6 pounds. Therefore, what Wing has achieved is a drone fleet capable of efficiently delivering packages including small pill bottles to those weighing as much as 7 pounds, which should give logistic partners a wide variety of options to choose from.

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This solar-powered aircraft is an aerodynamic commercial flyer of the future

The world is gradually shifting towards eco-friendly ways of living, and transportation is one major industry carrying the gauntlet. Solar-powered airplanes are the future in this quest, and this concept gives us a look at the horizon of air travel in a decade’s time.

Solar Impulse solar-powered aircrafts developed by US-Spanish aerospace firm Skydweller Aero have shown us what totally fuel independent flying machines are capable of – sans any dependence on hauling fuel or need to refuel by pit stop landing. Venturing on intercontinental flights and countless flying hours, the solar aircraft opened up the world to the possibilities of totally sustainable flights. Laszlo Nemeth wants to carry forward the zero-emission dream of commercial and private aircraft flights with this intriguing concept.

Designer: Laszlo Nemeth

Looking more like the Tesla Model S of the renewable energy-powered aircraft world, this is the Falcon Solar aircraft concept that takes to the skies with its wide wingspan. This concept design breaks the accepted norms of aircraft design with an advanced set of wings that have a curved shape. One thing that caught my eye is the inverted wingspan compared to the real flacon bird. Stacked against the overall body ratio of the solar aircraft, the wings are quite large, perhaps to provide superior lift and lessen aerodynamic drag.

There are no rudders or rear wing or vertical stabilizers which actuate the direction of the aircraft. Hopefully, we are staring down an advanced technology that makes swift turning possible without these currently vital parts on any flying machine. The array of solar panels spans across the whole length of the wings which should be able to produce enough energy from the sun when gliding over the clouds. For now, the cabin of the aircraft looks quite compact and we don’t yet know if there is ample space for passengers to be hauled. This craft could be more like a luxury yacht of the skies for millionaires to play around with, in the near future, who knows!

 

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