Google has purchased New Mexico-based unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer Titan Aerospace for an undisclosed amount as the search giant seeks to build up its image collection and remote area access offerings, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Alistair Barr and Reed Albergotti write that Titan’s nearly 20 employees will remain in Mexico and continue to be led by CEO Van Raburn.
Titan builds its solar-powered drones to collect real-time, high-resolution images of Earth, carry atmospheric sensors and support voice and data services, the Journal reports.
“It is still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring Internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation, ” a Google spokesman told the Journal.
Titan is working to develop two UAVs that resemble dragonflies and run off batteries that are designed to be charged by wing-mounted solar panels, Barr and Albergotti report.
