Google’s Project Loon is an ambitious project out of Google X, the company’s ‘moonshot’ product department who specialise in cutting edge, groundbreaking future technology. Now the company has revealed that they now could be launching up to 20 Loon balloons daily.
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Project Loon’s aim is to circle the Earth with a ring of internet broadcasting balloons – wireless internet will be provided by self-sustaining devices which hang below the balloons which float on stratospheric air currents, raining down an umbrella of easy-access internet to the developing world, where it’s needed most.
Philanthropic and revolutionary, project Loon is yet another Google X venture designed to benefit humanity. Already Google is in the process of testing Loon balloons in Australia using Telco’s mobile network there as their test bed – the results have been promising.
Using mathematics and meteorological data, Google is fast becoming an expert on guiding Loon Balloons onto their designated targets – as is made clear on their Google+ page.
“By constantly computing thousands of trajectory simulations it turns out we can get pretty close to our targets. For example, one flight came within 1.5km of our target destination over a flight of 9,000 kilometers, purely through predicting and sailing with the stratospheric winds.”
– Project Loon Team
The balloons are also becoming much easier to inflate prior to launch, as Google are investing in new technologies designed to speed the delivery of lighter than air gases into the balloons themselves – even the cocks Loon balloon manufacturers must wear when putting up the dirigibles must be chosen correctly – softer socks means less friction on the delicate fabric, according to Google.
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All in all Project Loon is moving steadily from the drawing board to real life – Google’s commitment to the adventure of balloon flight is impressive, and it’s not going to ebb away until the job is done. When we heard about it earlier on, we thought that it might not be possible, but Google pulled out the stops, carried on tests, and lo and behold, Loon is getting closer to completion by the day.
Loon Update: Google+
Via: TechCrunch