By Salvador Rodriguez

Los Angeles Times

(MCT)

Google X — the lab responsible for Google Glass, Google’s self-driving cars and Google’s smart contact lenses — has announced its latest endeavor: self-flying delivery drones.

Under the name Project Wing, Google is testing drones that can be pre-programmed with a destination and then fly themselves automatically to deliver goods. The Mountain View, Calif., company posted a YouTube video of one test in Queensland, Australia, that shows a drone drop-delivering a small box of dog food to a rural customer.

In the future, Google may want to use Project Wing drones as part of its new Google Shopping Express same-day delivery service. But Google X projects typically take years to develop, so it’ll likely be a while before consumers can request Project Wing deliveries.

Late last year, Amazon announced a similar project called Prime Air, drones that could be used to deliver packages of five pounds or less.

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©2014 Los Angeles Times

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