ASSIGNMENT ON GOOGLE PROJECT LOON

LOON FOR ALL

TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

TO
DR. BASSANA SIR
PROF. OF CMRU
BANGALOR E

FROM
ANIL V
14PG01001
CMRU

CONTENTS

Introduction
What is project Loon
Working principle of project Loon

Technology Used
How loon moves
How loon connects
Equipment used
Advantages and Disadvantages

1. INTRODUCTION
Project Loon is a research and development project being developed by Google with
the mission of providing Internet access to rural and remote areas. A balloon is a
flexible bag filled with air or gas. The balloon is also considerably used to gather
weather information such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind
speed. It allows people to communicate with others as well.
2. WHAT IS PROJECT LOON?
In 2008, Google had considered contracting with or acquiring Space Data Corp., a
company that sends balloons carrying small base stations about 20 miles (32 km) up
in the air for providing connectivity to truckers and oil companies in the southern
United States, but didn't do so. Unofficial development on the project began in 2011
under incubation in Google X with a series of trial runs in California's Central Valley.
The project was officially announced as a Google project on 14 June 2013. On 16
June 2013, Google began a pilot experiment in New Zealand where about 30 balloons
were launched in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority from the Tekapo
area in the South Island.
3. WORKING PRINCIPLE OF PROJECT LOON
Each super-pressure balloon is massive with a whopping 15-meter diameter. It is
made of very thin, very light polyethylene plastic though, so it lifts up the sky easily.
It is strong enough to lift the flight computer and other electronics. All these are
powered by a solar power panel. The balloons are manoeuvred by adjusting their
altitude to float to a wind layer after identifying the wind layer with the desired speed
and direction.
4.

USER CONNECTIVITY
Users of the service connect to the balloon network using a special Internet antenna
attached to their building. The signal travels through the balloon network from
balloon to balloon, then to a ground-based station connected to an Internet service
provider (ISP). The system aims to improve communication during natural
disasters to affected regions.

5. TECHNOLOGY USED
The small box (payload) hangs below the envelope, and looks very similar to the
basket in a hot air balloon. It holds electronic devices, such as circuit boards, radio
antennas, solar panels, batteries, GPS, and devices to monitor weather conditions. The
circuit boards control the overall balloon system and radio antennas are for
communications. Project Loon balloons float in the stratosphere, twice as high as
airplanes and the weather. They are carried around the Earth by winds and they can be
steered by rising or descending to an altitude with winds moving in the desired
direction. People connect to the balloon network using a special Internet antenna

attached to their building. The signal bounces from balloon to balloon, then to the
global Internet back on Earth.
6. HOW LOON MOVES?

Winds in the stratosphere are generally steady and slow-moving at between 5 and 20 mph,
and each layer of wind varies in direction. Project Loon uses software algorithms to
determine where its balloons need to go then moves each one into a layer of wind blowing in
the right direction. By moving with the wind, the balloons can be arranged to form one large
communications network.

7. HOW LOON CONNECTS?

Each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area about 40 km in diameter at speeds
comparable to 3G. Each balloon is equipped with a GPS for tracking its location
There are three radio transceivers.
Balloon-to-balloon communications.
Balloon-to-ground communication.
Third for backup.
The balloons use antennas equipped with specialized radio frequency technology. Project
Loon currently uses ISM bands that are available for anyone to use.
8. HOW LOON IS DESIGNED?
ENVELOPE
SOLAR PANELS
EQUIPMENT
ENVELOPE
Project Loons balloon envelopes are made from sheets of polyethylene plastic and stand
fifteen meters wide by twelve meters tall when fully inflated. A parachute attached to the top
of the envelope allows for a controlled descent and landing whenever a balloon is ready to be
taken out of service.
SOLAR PANELS
Each units electronics are powered by an array of solar panels that sits between the envelope
and the hardware. In full sun, these panels produce 100 Watts of power - enough to keep the
unit running while also charging a battery for use at night. By moving with the wind and
charging in the sun, Project Loon is able to power itself using only renewable energy sources.
EQUIPMENT
A small box containing the balloons electronic equipment. This box contains circuit boards
that control the system. Radio antennas to communicate with other balloons and with Internet
antennas on the ground. And batteries to store solar power so the balloons can operate during
the night.
9. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Lower Cost

Availability of Information
Education
Health and Medicine
Use of Renewable Energy
Weather Surveillance
Collaboration
DISADVANTAGES
Hardware Failure
Internet privacy
Not a replacement of satellite communication.
International politics
9. CONCLUSION

Project Loon is an ambitious project and the world will highly benefit from it.
Project Loon, an initiative to help fill in those internet gaps through the use of
networked balloons. The goal is to provide broadband-like internet for the twothirds of the world that doesnt have access to a reliable internet connection by
balloon. It is still in experimental phase.

THANK YOU