Google wants to test fire drones
The Google Climate and Energy Research Group is looking to test and monitor drones in the field of firefighting, according to the exception document recently submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration and the US Department of Transportation.
The document includes a request from the search giant for a waiver from specific requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations.
Google Climate and Energy Research Group plans to test the HSE-UAV M8A Pro, a spray drone focused on the agricultural industry.
The published document gives the location where the drone will be tested, the type of drone used, and what exactly the drone is doing.
Google's Climate and Energy Research Group is seeking to help operate the HSE-UAV M8A Pro drone system, weighing more than 25kg and no more than 45kg, to test firefighting and surveillance operations using first-person display technology on private ownership in Firebo, California. .
Google is testing HSE-UAV M8A Pro, a 20-liter drone designed to spray crops instead of fires.
The fully autonomous drone uses a carbon fiber frame and has six sprinklers extending onto an arm that juts out from each side of the drone.
Given that the nozzles are designed to spray fine mist on crops, it is possible that they have been swapped for something more suitable for fighting fires, and this could also mean installing a larger tank for the drone.
It is not entirely clear why Google tested the drone in this way, but the theory goes: Google has a large headquarters with a lot of things that can burn.
The best way to put out the fire appears to be to use a team of drones that can respond faster than a standard firefighting team.
Drones can also be found throughout the headquarters, and this essentially creates a network of firefighting aircraft throughout the headquarters.
It is noteworthy that this is not the first time that Google explores the use of drones, as it used to own the Google X project, which is now called Wing Aviation.
Founded in 2012, Wing Aviation was called Google Wing, and Wing Aviation began to tackle a problem, sending drone pacemakers to heart attack victims.
Soon, the Wing Aviation team realized that the drone delivery technology had to get a major upgrade and approval from the world.
Wing Aviation is actively pursuing deliveries in Australia and Finland, which have very different weather conditions, making both locations ideal test grounds for drone deliveries.
Wing Aviation has a testing facility in Northern California and operates from Virginia, while in Australia it has been working with residents for a few years to develop a viable and efficient method of package delivery.
Wing Aviation chose to test in Canberra, and also moved to Helsinki this spring, and faced severe cold weather, creating an ideal test ground for Wing Aviation's delivery drones.