UPDATE 3:30pm 8/9/10: It looks like the drone was purchased by a Google exec for personal use. There has been no official comment from Google yet.

It is being reported in Germany that Google has taken delivery of a camera-equipped flying drone, a device that looks rather similar to the Parrot AR.Drone.

The drone has been supplied by German company Microdrone, with Mr. Juerss, owner of the company stating:

We have good chances for a long term business relationship with Google.

But why does Google need a camer-equipped flying drone? Is it to allow for better image data to be captured above the streets in Germany? Or possibly a new monitoring system Google will use for some of its large scale projects? At the moment your guess is as good as ours.

Here’s a demonstration of what a Microdrone can do:

Read more at Blogscoped, found via Slashdot.org

Matthew’s Opinion

What’s interesting about these Microdrones is they are geared up to follow waypoints or a predetermined path. That does make them very useful if Google did want to capture high-resolution imagery close to the ground for a specific route.

Although Google Earth and Street View sound like they would benefit from drone-captured imagery, I think regulations and privacy laws would stop Google from doing this. You would need permission to fly low over the streets of any city capturing images, and with the problems Google already faced with its cars travelling around certain areas, it will no doubt get even more resistance to this idea.

It’s more likely Google want to monitor facilities remotely, and a highly-maneuverable flying drone could be the best solution. Check out the video below of the HexaCopter for an idea of how quick and maneuverable these drones are.

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