Alphabet Will Begin Testing Project Wing Delivery Drones In the US (theguardian.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Google's parent company, Alphabet, has been granted permission by the White House on Tuesday to start testing its Project Wing delivery drones in the U.S. The Guardian reports: "The drones will be tested in one of six designated Federal Aviation Authority areas within the U.S. as part of the government's initiative to promote research into unmanned flight and safety legislation. The announcement was made alongside a pledge from the U.S. National Science Foundation to spend $35m (26 million British Pound) over the next five years on drone research, and comes a month after the U.S. government green-lit commercial drone flights, but with restrictions around line-of-sight control that made automated drone delivery infeasible. The tests will help shape U.S. legislation around the types of automated flying systems that Amazon and Alphabet hope to use to delivery goods and services via air, and establish requirements for unmanned pilot licenses."

Comments

research another word for a legal monopoly?

[sittingnut]

seems odd that particular companies(big supporters of president and his party) are named to conduct this "research" instead of giving open guidelines that anyone can follow.
if and when drone operations are fully allowed, these companies, will have a huge advantage over competition. in addition to established infrastructure, they, if above statements are correct, will in effect have a big say win final regulations.

btw why is "white house" involved at all?

Re:research another word for a legal monopoly?

[ScentCone]

btw why is "white house" involved at all?

Because the FAA, which is part of the DoT, is a regulatory agency that is run by a political appointee who answers to the president, who runs the executive branch of the government from the White House. If you want to do something that violates regulations, you've got to the someone in the executive branch to get you a waiver so you don't go to jail. Or, you could lobby congress to pass a law that forces the executive branch to change the way that regulatory agency interacts with you (and everyone else who does what you do), but unless you get the law passed with a large majority in the legislature, that guy in the White House can still simply shut it down. And, as the current executive has said many times, he's happy to "use his pen" to change the application of the law or to cherry-pick enforcement of the law as it suits his agenda. Clear?

So tell me again

[rsilvergun]

how automation & robotics isn't a threat to jobs?

Re:So tell me again

[ThatsMyNick]

It is. Cars were a threat to jobs, when it was introduced and commoditized too. There were many attempts to outlaw it. It doesnt mean humanity is better off with cars, than without.

Or you, know you can always become Amish and drive a horse pulled carriage. You would be free of those pesky job killing robots too.

Ludicrous design

[fubarrr]

This thing has a rather stupid construction: a flying wing with suspended payload. A minute change in the centre of mass will send this thing tumbling in mid-air. I bet, it was made those $100 an hour "innovative" javascript kiddies from Google X. Doing something properly is simply not their style