X Development Explained

X Development LLC
Trade Name:X
Type:Division
Industry:Research and development
Products:
Parent:
Former Name:Google X (2010–2015)
Founders:
Location City:Mountain View, California
Location Country:United States

X Development LLC,[1] [2] [3] doing business as X (formerly Google X),[4] is an American semi-secret research and development facility and organization founded by Google in January 2010.[5] [6] X has its headquarters about a mile and a half from Alphabet's corporate headquarters, the Googleplex, in Mountain View, California.[7] [8]

X's mission is to invent and launch "moonshot" technologies that aim to make the world a radically better place.[9] A moonshot is defined by X as the intersection of a big problem, a radical solution, and breakthrough technology.[10] Work at X is overseen by entrepreneur scientist Astro Teller, as CEO and "Captain of Moonshots".[11] [12] [13] The lab started with the development of Google's self-driving car.

Active projects

Taara

The purpose of Taara is to expand global access to quick, affordable Internet connections with beams of light. After a successful use of free-space optical communication (FSOC) as a part of Project Loon,[14] X decided to conduct more tests called Taara[15] in rural areas of India.[16] The technology uses light beams which are developed by X's office in Visakhapatnam.[17] As of December 2017, X had set up 2,000 of these units in India, through a partnership with Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited.[18]

Chorus

Chorus is a project which aims to improve the supply chain through the use of sensors, software, and machine learning tools. The team had been working on the project for 3.5 years before it was revealed in March 2022.[19]

Graduated projects

Glass

See main article: Google Glass.

Project Glass is a research and development program by Google to develop an augmented reality head-mounted display (HMD).[20] The intended purpose of Project Glass products is hands-free display of information currently available to most smartphone users,[21] and interaction with the Internet via natural language voice commands.[22] Google Glass has ended production as of March 15, 2023.[23]

Waymo

See main article: Waymo.

Waymo was a project by Google that involved developing technology for driverless cars. In December 2016, Google transitioned the project into a new company called Waymo, housed under Google's parent company Alphabet. The project was led by Google engineer Sebastian Thrun, director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and co-inventor of Google Street View. Thrun's team at Stanford created the robotic vehicle Stanley which won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and its prize from the United States Department of Defense.[24] The team developing the system consisted of 15 engineers working for Google, including Chris Urmson, Mike Montemerlo, and Anthony Levandowski, who had worked on the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenges.[25]

Loon

See main article: Loon (company).

Project Loon was a project of X that aimed to bring internet access to everyone by creating an internet network of balloons flying through the stratosphere. It uses wireless routers in balloons that are above weather and plans to give access to the internet to those who can't reach it or are in need of help.[26] In July 2018, Loon graduated from X and was made a subsidiary of Alphabet.[27] In January 2021, it was announced that the company would be shut down.[28] [29] [30]

Wing

See main article: Wing (company). Project Wing was a project of X that aimed to rapidly deliver products across a city by using flying vehicles, similar to the Amazon Prime Air concept.[31] It began development in secret around 2012, with full-scale testing being carried out in Australia. In 2014, the project was publicly announced, at the same time that it was spun off to a separate company, Wing.

The flying vehicle takes off vertically, then rotates to a horizontal position for flying around. For delivery, it hovers and winches packages down to the ground. At the end of the tether is a small bundle of electronics which detects that the package has hit the ground, detaches from the delivery, and is pulled back up into the body of the vehicle. Dropping the cargo or landing were found to be unfeasible, as users compromised the safety.[32]

Malta

Malta was started in July 2017 to develop renewable energy storage systems by utilizing tanks of molten salt.[33] The system works by transforming electrical energy to heat energy for storage, based on research by Robert B. Laughlin.[34] Malta Inc. graduated from X in December 2018 with plans to develop a large-scale test of the technology for future commercial applications.[35]

Dandelion

See main article: Dandelion Energy. Dandelion was spun out as a company not under the Alphabet umbrella, aiming to sell geothermal energy systems to consumers.[36]

Makani

See main article: Makani (company). Makani was a project that was acquired by X in May 2013 designed to produce wind energy using kites.[37] The T-shaped planes are 85 feet wide and contain 8 turbines tethered to the ground.[38] Compared to wind turbines, Makani's kites require 90% less material.[39] In December 2016, Makani's kite became the first energy kite in the world to generate electricity.[40] In February 2019, Makani was separated from X and became a subsidiary of Alphabet.[41]

In February 2020, Alphabet shut down Makani. The company said "Despite strong technical progress, the road to commercialization is longer and riskier than hoped."[42] In September 2020, Makani released the Energy Kite Collection — a three-part report and accompanying collection of open source code repositories, flight logs and technical videos from the project. It also released Pulling Power from the Sky: The Story of Makani, a documentary on the project, and made a non-assertion pledge on its patent portfolio, allowing anyone to use its patents without fear of legal reprisal.[43] [44]

Intrinsic

In July 2021, it was announced that a new company called Intrinsic would be spun out of X.[45] The team had been developing software for industrial robots at X for more than five years. The new company is led by Wendy Tan White as CEO.[46]

Mineral

In January 2023, it was announced that a new company called Mineral has been spun out of X. The team had been working on sensors, data, and machine learning to scale sustainable agriculture globally for more than 5 years. The new company is led by Elliott Grant as CEO.

Others

Projects with unknown status

Abandoned or rejected projects

Projects that X has considered and rejected include a space elevator, which was deemed to be currently infeasible;[59] a hoverboard, which was determined to be too costly relative to the societal benefits;[60] a user-safe jetpack, which was thought to be too loud and energy-wasting;[61] and teleportation, which was found to violate the laws of physics.

Approach

In February 2016, Astro Teller, the X "Captain of Moonshots", gave a TED talk[62] in which he described the X approach to projects. Unusual characteristics of the approach included constantly trying to find reasons to kill off projects by tackling the hardest parts first, and both celebrating and rewarding staff when projects were killed off due to failure.

On May 17, 2018, an internal video entitled The Selfish Ledger was leaked by The Verge, regarding reshaping society through total data collection. A spokesperson stated that "This is a thought-experiment by the Design team from years ago that uses a technique known as ‘speculative design’ to explore uncomfortable ideas and concepts in order to provoke discussion and debate. It's not related to any current or future products."[63]

Acquisitions

A number of companies have been acquired and merged into X, covering a diverse range of skills including wind turbines, robotics, artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, robotic arms, and computer vision. In 2013, X acquired Makani Power, a US company which developed tethered wings/kites with mounted wind turbines for low cost renewable energy generation.[64] In 2014, it acquired product design and mechanical engineering firm Gecko Design, whose previous products included the Fitbit activity tracker and low-cost computers. As of 2015, X has acquired 14 companies, including Redwood Robotics, Meka Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Bot & Dolly, and Jetpac.[65] In June 2017, X sold Boston Dynamics to SoftBank Group,[66] which sold it to Hyundai Motor Company in December 2020.

Campus

A reporter from Bloomberg Businessweek visited the site in 2013 and described it as "ordinary two-story red-brick buildings about a half-mile from Google's main campus. There's a burbling fountain out front and rows of company-issued bikes, which employees use to shuttle to the main campus."[7]

Controversies

On 25 October 2018, The New York Times published an exposé entitled "How Google Protected Andy Rubin, the 'Father of Android'". The company subsequently announced that "48 employees have been fired over the last two years" for sexual misconduct.[67] A week after the article appeared, Google X executive Rich DeVaul resigned pursuant to a complaint of sexual harassment.[68]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016-08-05 . X Development LLC . 2023-08-20 . OpenCorporates.
  2. Web site: X Development LLC - Company Profile and News . 2023-08-25 . . en.
  3. Web site: Langley . Hugh . 2023-01-10 . Google's moonshot factory is coming down to Earth . 2023-08-25 . . en-US.
  4. Web site: Goldman . David . Google X has a new logo and name . CNN Business . CNN . 5 March 2023.
  5. Rowan. David. Astro Teller of Google[x] wants to improve the world's broken industries]. Wired UK. January 25, 2014. October 31, 2013.
  6. Web site: Secret Google lab 'rewards failure'. Newsnight. BBC. January 25, 2014. January 24, 2014.
  7. Web site: Stone . Brad . Inside Google's Secret Lab . https://web.archive.org/web/20130523002623/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-22/inside-googles-secret-lab . dead . May 23, 2013 . Businessweek . May 22, 2013 . May 26, 2013.
  8. News: Google's Lab of Wildest Dreams . Claire Cain . Miller . Nick . Bilton . The New York Times . November 13, 2011 . February 23, 2012.
  9. News: A Peek Inside the Moonshot Factory Operating Manual. Astro Teller. 2016-07-23. The Team at X. 2018-04-24.
  10. Web site: The unexpected benefit of celebrating failure Astro Teller. YouTube. 2018-04-24.
  11. Web site: Introduction to Project Glass. Project Glass. Google. May 5, 2013. Google+. April 4, 2012. A group of us from Google[x] started Project Glass to build this kind of technology….
  12. Web site: Shontell. Alyson. Meet The Mastermind Behind Driverless Cars, Glass And More: Google's 'Chief Of Moonshots,' Astro Teller. Business Insider. January 25, 2014. September 18, 2013.
  13. Web site: Gertner. Jon. The Truth About Google X: An Exclusive Look Behind The Secretive Lab's Closed Doors. Fast Company. April 17, 2014. April 15, 2014.
  14. Web site: Exploring a new approach to connectivity . Baris . Erkmen . 2017-12-14.
  15. Web site: Taara - X, the moonshot factory. 2021-01-26. X, the moonshot factory. en.
  16. News: Alphabet's X provides high-speed internet without fiber in AP. Phadnis. Shilpa. February 22, 2018. The Times of India. July 21, 2018.
  17. News: Google X ready to set up Development Centre in Visakhapatnam. December 15, 2018. Hindustan Times. July 21, 2018.
  18. News: Alphabet's X will use light beams to bring the internet to millions of rural Indian households. U N. Sushma. December 15, 2017. Quartz India. July 21, 2018.
  19. Web site: Li . Abner . 2022-03-16 . New Alphabet X moonshot 'Chorus' wants to use sensors and ML to improve the global supply chain . 2022-03-21 . . en-US.
  20. News: Google unveils 'Project Glass' virtual-reality glasses . CNN . Money . Goldman . David . April 4, 2012 .
  21. News: Google 'Project Glass' Replaces the Smartphone With Glasses . . Chloe . Albanesius . April 4, 2012.
  22. News: Google's 'Project Glass' Teases Augmented Reality Glasses . . Newman . Jared . April 4, 2012.
  23. Web site: Enterprise Edition . 2023-08-03 . Glass . en.
  24. News: John Markoff. Google Cars Drive Themselves, in Traffic. The New York Times. October 9, 2010. October 11, 2010. John Markoff.
  25. Web site: Sebastian Thrun. What we're driving at. The Official Google Blog. October 9, 2010. October 11, 2010.
  26. Web site: Loon. Loon.
  27. News: The Moonshot to Create the Next Google. Koulopoulos. Thomas. July 2018. Inc.. July 13, 2018.
  28. Web site: Schroeder. Stan. Alphabet gives up on balloon-powered internet. 2021-01-22. Mashable. January 22, 2021. en.
  29. Web site: Langley. Hugh. Google's balloon project Loon crashed, but some investors are happy with CEO Sundar Pichai putting limits on money-burning 'moonshots'. 2021-01-24. Business Insider.
  30. Web site: Michelle Toh. Alphabet is shutting down Loon, its ambitious internet balloon venture. 2021-01-24. CNN.
  31. AOPA Pilot. April 2015. 63. Droning On.
  32. Warwick, Graham. "Google Details 'Project Wing' Unmanned Package-Delivery R&D" Aviation Week & Space Technology, November 3, 2014. Accessed: November 5, 2014. on November 5, 2014
  33. News: Alphabet's 'moonshot' lab has a new project to store renewable energy. Kovach. Steve. 31 July 2017. Business Insider. 27 December 2018.
  34. News: Alphabet's X lab spins out molten-salt energy storage project Malta. Wiggers. Kyle. 19 December 2018. VentureBeat. 27 December 2018.
  35. News: Google X Spins Off Malta Molten Salt Energy Storage Business. Hanley. Steve. 21 December 2018. CleanTechnica. 27 December 2018.
  36. Web site: Google's parent company spun out a new business that heats your home with geothermal energy. Kovach. Steve. Business Insider. 2019-04-23.
  37. News: Google X acquires kite-power startup Makani. Shankland. Stephen. May 23, 2013. CNET. July 13, 2018. CBS Interactive.
  38. News: Alphabet's Green Energy Ambitions Hit Turbulence. Bergen. Mark. August 4, 2017. Bloomberg News. July 13, 2018.
  39. News: Various clean energy moonshots at X have hit roadblocks, including Makani kite project. Li. Abner. August 4, 2017. 9to5Google. July 13, 2018.
  40. News: Makani produces 1st power with 600-kW kite. May 18, 2017. Renewables Now. July 13, 2018. limited.
  41. Web site: Shell joins Alphabet in power-generating kites plan. Waters. Richard. Hook. Leslie. 13 February 2019. Financial Times. 23 April 2019.
  42. Web site: Lardinois. Frederic. 19 February 2020. Alphabet takes the wind out of its Makani energy kites. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201218035500/https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/18/alphabet-takes-the-wind-out-of-its-makani-energy-kites/. 18 December 2020. 27 December 2020. TechCrunch. en-US.
  43. Web site: Anderson. Mark. 15 September 2020. Exclusive: Airborne Wind Energy Company Closes Shop, Opens Patents. live. https://archive.today/20201227143956/https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/exclusive-airborne-wind-energy-company-closes-shop-opens-patents. 27 December 2020. 27 December 2020. IEEE Spectrum. en.
  44. Web site: Echeverri. Paula. 10 September 2020. Sharing Makani with the world: The Energy Kite Collection. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201227130630/https://blog.x.company/sharing-makani-with-the-world-the-energy-kite-collection-ea49398df78c?gi=11a847e0256d. 27 December 2020. 27 December 2020. Medium. en.
  45. Web site: Bursztynsky . Jessica . Alphabet launches new robotics software company Intrinsic . . July 23, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210723171417/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/23/alphabet-intrinsic-robotics-software-company.html . July 23, 2021 . July 23, 2021 . live.
  46. Web site: Ridden. Paul. 2021-07-23. Alphabet launches Intrinsic to make industrial robots easier to use. 2021-07-27. New Atlas.
  47. News: Introducing our smart contact lens project . January 16, 2014 . July 31, 2016.
  48. News: Why Google's Cancer-Detecting Pill Is More Than Just Hype. . November 5, 2014 . July 31, 2016.
  49. Web site: X - Projects. X, the moonshot factory.
  50. News: They Promised Us Jet Packs. . July 23, 2016 . July 31, 2016.
  51. News: Astro Teller, Google's 'Captain of Moonshots,' on Making Profits at Google X . February 6, 2015 . July 31, 2016.
  52. https://www.informationweek.com/it-life/google-x-inspired-8-moonshots-to-watch/d/d-id/1324575? Google X Inspired: 8 Moonshots To Watch
  53. Web site: Lunden. Ingrid. Flux Emerges From Google X And Nabs $8M To Help Build Eco-Friendly Buildings. TechCrunch. May 2014.
  54. News: Google's X lab is working on batteries that last longer . WSJ . April 11, 2015 . November 11, 2015.
  55. News: Newton . Casey . Casey Newton . October 31, 2013 . Google plans to dock mystery barge at former Army post in San Francisco . . Vox Media.
  56. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/06/google-barge-mystery-solved-interactive-learning-center Google barge mystery solved: they're for 'interactive learning centers'
  57. Web site: X - Foghorn. X, the moonshot factory.
  58. Web site: Explorations – X . x.company . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170430022902/http://www.x.company/explorations/ . 2017-04-30.
  59. Web site: Gayomali. Chris. Google X Confirms The Rumors: It Really Did Try To Design A Space Elevator. Fast Company. April 17, 2014. April 15, 2014.
  60. Web site: Gayomali. Chris. This Is Why We Don't Have Google X Hoverboards Yet. Fast Company. April 17, 2014. April 15, 2014.
  61. Web site: Mack. Eric. Four Crazy Google X Projects That Failed. Forbes. May 9, 2014. May 6, 2014.
  62. Web site: The unexpected benefit of celebrating failure. TED. June 3, 2016. Feb 2016.
  63. News: Google's Selfish Ledger is an unsettling vision of Silicon Valley social engineering. The Verge. 2018-05-19.
  64. News: Google acquires kite-power generator. BBC News. May 23, 2013. May 23, 2013.
  65. Web site: Miners. Zach. Google acquires Gecko Design for next-generation products. August 22, 2014. August 22, 2014.
  66. News: Why Google wanted to sell – and Softbank wanted to buy – Boston Dynamics, which makes crazy robots. D'Angelo. Alexa. June 9, 2017. Los Angeles Times. June 9, 2017.
  67. News: Google says 48 people have been fired for sexual harassment in the last two years. Welch. Chris. 25 October 2018. 31 October 2018. The Verge.
  68. News: Google exec accused of sexual harassment leaves company. Musil. Steven. 30 October 2018. 31 October 2018. CNET.

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