Project loon started off in 2008 by Google. Unofficial developments started in 2011 with a series of trial runs in California. In June of 2013 Google began a pilot experiments in New Zealand with 30 balloons. After realizing the balloons worked, they planned on sending 300 balloons around the world. In June of 2014 they tested LTE connections in Brazil. In February of 2015 they were able to get the balloons to last up to 187 days. October of 2015, Google partnered with multiple companies to allow technology access to Indonesia. February of 2016 Google tested their new “autolauncher” called chicken little. Now in 2017 Loon balloons are seen all over the world flying overhead.
The technology behind the project is complicated. Within the balloons is a computer that uses software algorithms to determine where the balloon needs to go. It then moves each balloon into a layer of wind to get it to blow in the correct direction. Controlling all these balloons to “fly” with the wind makes it able to flow in groups to create networks. The balloons will connect together with the network being projected to the occupants below. As the balloons fly overhead, the network is accessible. After the one balloons passes over, the connection is continuously available as long as there is a single balloon overhead.
This project will greatly affect the world. People who are in remote locations of the world will be able to have access to the internet, in turn giving them access to any sort of information they would need. As Ranjay Krishna says, “Farmers in remote corners of third world countries would be able to research and analyze multiple techniques that could increase their yield, a father would be able to stay in touch with his daughter no matter which township either one of them lived in, villagers across an country would be able to transparently examine the country’s political scenario and vote appropriately.” http://ranjaykrishna.com/blog/project-loon (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. This could change the world and the way that it functions.
Marketing could be heavily affected and changed by allowing everyone everywhere to have access to the internet. If everyone has access to the internet, people are more likely to shop online as well. Having so much online shopping would create a large influx of businesses online. Commercials and ads will have to be adjusted to fit the needs of more people.
There are a lot of pros and cons with having the loon balloons flying overhead. One big con is the fact that these balloons will be “littering” the skies. Planes will need to be constantly aware of these balloons. Software could cause problems with the balloons flying and will also liter the grounds if and when these balloons fall to the ground. A very positive pro will be the ability to allow thousands of people will have access to the internet. Having internet access will not only allow them to stay up to date about politics as well as health and medicine. These balloons could change the way the world runs and operates.
"Balloon powered internet for everyone" SUMMARY
Project Loon is a project intended to bring high speed internet to the most rural parts of the world via high flying balloons with powerful internet connectivity. To accomplish this project, it has required the advancement in multiple technologies including internet devices, stratospheric balloons and their launch system, as well as technologies required to navigate these balloons. This page will cover the origins and the technologies involved in this project, and where it stands today. ORIGINS
Project Loon was started by a branch of Google called Google X, which is a semi-secret research and development facility started by Google in 2010. Today this branch, is now just called "X", is run by Astro Teller, an entrepreneur scientist, who has overseen the research of everything from self-driving cars to Project Loon. The project got its name because even those at Google thought it was rather loony to provide such a massive service. Project Loon began in 2011 but was not officially announced until 2013 with up scaled pilot launchings beginning two days later. The Projects moto “Balloon powered internet for everyone” is pretty straight forward in declaring the projects objective, but few have seen the impact the project can have in providing speedy communication during crippling events such as natural disasters. Important people involved in the project are Rich DeVaul (Chief Technical Architect), Mike Cassidy (Project Leader), and Cyrus Behroozi (Networking and Teleconnection Lead). TECHNOLOGIES Internet devices: With a 5000 square km area of coverage, the 18 km floating altitude is mere chump change compared to how far these transceivers can reach. With this vast reach, these balloons create a network that connects ground based stations to any user’s phone within reach of the balloon connection. To accomplish this task, the balloons use directional antennas, known as patch antennas, that can focus in specific directions, increasing power and reducing interference. These transceivers are powered by solar panels that also charge an internal battery for night time use. Not as much is known about these systems because they are being overshadowed by the accomplishments being made in the technologies of the balloon.
Balloons: To begin, these balloons when fully inflated and pressurized with helium, are 15 meters tall and 12 meters wide. They are made of polyethylene plastic and are only a mere 0.003 in thickness. They are built to withstand intense stratosphere environments including winds that can blow over 100 km/hr, little protection from uv radiation, and temperatures that can drop to as low as -90 degrees Celsius. These balloons average about 100 days of flight per balloon and developers hope to reach an average of 200 days, with the record for the longest flight being 190 days.
Because of the size of these balloons, it has proven difficult to launch them. So the project developers have found a way to launch one of these tennis court sized balloons with an auto launcher which they have named "chicken little" every 30 minutes. This auto launcher is stored and is used for testing in Ceiba, Puerto Rico at the former naval station Roosevelt Roads. With a predicted need for only 10-30 balloons per target area this launcher is well equipped to keep up with balloon demand.
The navigation of these balloons is also breaking the bounds of current technologies. Using stratospheric winds, these balloons are able to go almost anywhere they want in the world without any means of self-propulsion. Using these winds the balloons are able to be placed where ever the coverage is needed. The most fascinating part of this navigation is that the balloons are now able to do it themselves. Typical stratospheric conditions are very sporadic and subtle, with small chance of predictability. But these balloons are being programmed with learning algorithms and techniques that allow them to reliably stay in a general area, whereas the original hand guided system could not.
20 Dec 2016 - 190 flight record - The Bolt, as the balloon was named, spent a whopping 190 days aloft, travelled 122,000 km, and reached speeds of 162 km/hr. This broke records in the balloon industry. (https://plus.google.com/+ProjectLoon/posts/2vGeQAXF4Qo)
PROJECT LOON
Project loon started off in 2008 by Google. Unofficial developments started in 2011 with a series of trial runs in California. In June of 2013 Google began a pilot experiments in New Zealand with 30 balloons. After realizing the balloons worked, they planned on sending 300 balloons around the world. In June of 2014 they tested LTE connections in Brazil. In February of 2015 they were able to get the balloons to last up to 187 days. October of 2015, Google partnered with multiple companies to allow technology access to Indonesia. February of 2016 Google tested their new “autolauncher” called chicken little. Now in 2017 Loon balloons are seen all over the world flying overhead.
The technology behind the project is complicated. Within the balloons is a computer that uses software algorithms to determine where the balloon needs to go. It then moves each balloon into a layer of wind to get it to blow in the correct direction. Controlling all these balloons to “fly” with the wind makes it able to flow in groups to create networks. The balloons will connect together with the network being projected to the occupants below. As the balloons fly overhead, the network is accessible. After the one balloons passes over, the connection is continuously available as long as there is a single balloon overhead.
This project will greatly affect the world. People who are in remote locations of the world will be able to have access to the internet, in turn giving them access to any sort of information they would need. As Ranjay Krishna says, “Farmers in remote corners of third world countries would be able to research and analyze multiple techniques that could increase their yield, a father would be able to stay in touch with his daughter no matter which township either one of them lived in, villagers across an country would be able to transparently examine the country’s political scenario and vote appropriately.” http://ranjaykrishna.com/blog/project-loon (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. This could change the world and the way that it functions.
Marketing could be heavily affected and changed by allowing everyone everywhere to have access to the internet. If everyone has access to the internet, people are more likely to shop online as well. Having so much online shopping would create a large influx of businesses online. Commercials and ads will have to be adjusted to fit the needs of more people.
There are a lot of pros and cons with having the loon balloons flying overhead. One big con is the fact that these balloons will be “littering” the skies. Planes will need to be constantly aware of these balloons. Software could cause problems with the balloons flying and will also liter the grounds if and when these balloons fall to the ground. A very positive pro will be the ability to allow thousands of people will have access to the internet. Having internet access will not only allow them to stay up to date about politics as well as health and medicine. These balloons could change the way the world runs and operates.
"Balloon powered internet for everyone"
SUMMARY
Project Loon is a project intended to bring high speed internet to the most rural parts of the world via high flying balloons with powerful internet connectivity. To accomplish this project, it has required the advancement in multiple technologies including internet devices, stratospheric balloons and their launch system, as well as technologies required to navigate these balloons. This page will cover the origins and the technologies involved in this project, and where it stands today.
ORIGINS
Project Loon was started by a branch of Google called Google X, which is a semi-secret research and development facility started by Google in 2010. Today this branch, is now just called "X", is run by Astro Teller, an entrepreneur scientist, who has overseen the research of everything from self-driving cars to Project Loon. The project got its name because even those at Google thought it was rather loony to provide such a massive service. Project Loon began in 2011 but was not officially announced until 2013 with up scaled pilot launchings beginning two days later. The Projects moto “Balloon powered internet for everyone” is pretty straight forward in declaring the projects objective, but few have seen the impact the project can have in providing speedy communication during crippling events such as natural disasters. Important people involved in the project are Rich DeVaul (Chief Technical Architect), Mike Cassidy (Project Leader), and Cyrus Behroozi (Networking and Teleconnection Lead).
TECHNOLOGIES
Internet devices: With a 5000 square km area of coverage, the 18 km floating altitude is mere chump change compared to how far these transceivers can reach. With this vast reach, these balloons create a network that connects ground based stations to any user’s phone within reach of the balloon connection. To accomplish this task, the balloons use directional antennas, known as patch antennas, that can focus in specific directions, increasing power and reducing interference. These transceivers are powered by solar panels that also charge an internal battery for night time use. Not as much is known about these systems because they are being overshadowed by the accomplishments being made in the technologies of the balloon.
Balloons: To begin, these balloons when fully inflated and pressurized with helium, are 15 meters tall and 12 meters wide. They are made of polyethylene plastic and are only a mere 0.003 in thickness. They are built to withstand intense stratosphere environments including winds that can blow over 100 km/hr, little protection from uv radiation, and temperatures that can drop to as low as -90 degrees Celsius. These balloons average about 100 days of flight per balloon and developers hope to reach an average of 200 days, with the record for the longest flight being 190 days.
Because of the size of these balloons, it has proven difficult to launch them. So the project developers have found a way to launch one of these tennis court sized balloons with an auto launcher which they have named "chicken little" every 30 minutes. This auto launcher is stored and is used for testing in Ceiba, Puerto Rico at the former naval station Roosevelt Roads. With a predicted need for only 10-30 balloons per target area this launcher is well equipped to keep up with balloon demand.
The navigation of these balloons is also breaking the bounds of current technologies. Using stratospheric winds, these balloons are able to go almost anywhere they want in the world without any means of self-propulsion. Using these winds the balloons are able to be placed where ever the coverage is needed. The most fascinating part of this navigation is that the balloons are now able to do it themselves. Typical stratospheric conditions are very sporadic and subtle, with small chance of predictability. But these balloons are being programmed with learning algorithms and techniques that allow them to reliably stay in a general area, whereas the original hand guided system could not.
WHERE IT IS TODAY
17 Feb 2017 - Google cuts back on Project Loon - Instead of providing a worldwide network, the plan is beginning to just focus on target regions that need the internet access. (http://www.investopedia.com/news/google-cuts-back-project-loon-despite-breakthrough-goog/)
12 Jan 2017 - Project Titan is killed off to allow focus on Project Loon - Project Titan was a drone based worldwide internet providing network that was killed off to provide more focus on Project Loon, which has made more impressive progression. (http://www.eweek.com/cloud/google-parent-alphabet-kills-drone-borne-internet-project.html)
20 Dec 2016 - 190 flight record - The Bolt, as the balloon was named, spent a whopping 190 days aloft, travelled 122,000 km, and reached speeds of 162 km/hr. This broke records in the balloon industry. (https://plus.google.com/+ProjectLoon/posts/2vGeQAXF4Qo)
24 Aug 2016 - Tom Moore replaces Mike Cassidy - The hope that inspired this leadership change is that Tom’s commercial experience will move the project to more of a commercial stage. Mike was able to take the project from a science experiment to something more but Google is hoping to take the next step. (http://www.businessinsider.com/project-loon-gets-new-boss-tom-moore-2016-8/#the-launchpad-is-called-chicken-little-1)
-Picture courtesy of https://yourstory.com/2016/05/google-project-loon-india/