Google's Project Loon might sound like something created out of a liquid lunch meeting, but after years of planning Google's initiative to use balloons to bring the internet to everyone is now almost ready for deployment.
The balloons contain high-powered antenna equipment which can then broadcast internet access to anyone below.
While they used to take days to make, Google's dedicated manufacturing plant can now make a balloon every few hours. A balloon used to take a day to launch, thanks to automated launch cranes, dozens can be launched in a single day.
Google's plan is to deploy these balloons in their hundreds, creating a giant rotating net of connectivity that would continuously circle around a set area using the thermal currents in the air.
By raising and lowering the balloons, Google's engineers are able to create a complex holding pattern while would allow them to create 24/7 coverage despite the fact the antenna are in constant movement.
Having overcome the major hurdles such as data speeds and balloon life longevity, it now seems as though Project Loon is finally ready to go out into the wild.