Could Sidewalk Labs Be the Future of Urban Living?

Google has spent so many years dominating the digital arena that it was only a matter of time before it made the leap to the physical realm. Sidewalk Labs is the buzzword on the lips of all Google enthusiasts today. A startup that will supposedly transform urban life using technology, making cities not only safer but more efficient, Dan Doctoroff, the head of Sidewalk labs believes that Google has the potential to push the boundaries of modern life.

According to Dan, the integration of technology into today’s society has only widened the gap between the rich and the poor, creating a split that is especially noticeable in rural locations, though cities are no better. When properly implemented, the Sidewalk labs project will close this gap, especially in the areas of internet access, healthcare, and education, incubating technologies capable of improving city life for all inhabitants by addressing matters like efficient transportation and energy usage.

Sidewalk Labs is supposed to operate as an independent firm but it receives its funding from Google. If its present efforts prove effective, Sidewalk Labs intends to work with its partners to build technologies and buy existing platforms with the purpose of initiating a historic transformation in cities.

The Impact of Sidewalk Labs on City Life

There is a lot of speculation surrounding the objectives of Sidewalk Labs and the purposes they intend to achieve in the future. What cannot be denied is the drastic impact their actions will have on urban life, some of the transformations Google intends to deliver to cities across the country, improving lives in the process, including the following:

1.The Car

Google believes that autonomous cars are an essential component of a modern city. They have already begun testing vehicles that maneuver on their own while on the road, allowing drivers to focus on other tasks. There is speculation over whether Google will actually build these cars or simply license the technology out to other automobile companies. If all goes according to plan, Google’s intention is to unleash a fleet of autonomous, low-emission vehicles operating under an Uber-style system.

2.The Drone

Sidewalk Labs intends to transform the shopping experience forever by introducing drones into the process. Eliminating the need to journey to actual stores in order to make purchases, Google believes that it can add convenience to the entire shopping experience by allowing deliveries to be made using drones. With the right technology, Google believes it can drop packages right at a consumer’s doorstep. The fact that there are so many regulations surrounding the use of drones in civilian locations might complicate Google’s goals. But that will not stop them from trying.

3.Power

Google believes that the future of clean energy lies, not with solar power, but its Makani wind turbines. The devices are currently under development. The wind turbines float in the air, generating power by utilizing the stronger winds found at higher altitudes.

4.Connectivity

The internet of Things as a concept has already garnered considered prominence in just a few short years. Google wants to take this level of interconnectivity between objects to the next level, providing individuals complete and reliable control over every aspect of their life in the most convenient manner possible.

5.Mapping

Google takes cartography very seriously. Organizations, especially governments, require good maps into to initiate effective urban planning. Google has plans to bring highly detailed 3D maps to the Smartphone, maps that it can create using laser scanners attached to vehicles.

There is no denying the heftiness of Google’s plans for the modern city. The transformations intended by Sidewalk Labs have already begun to manifest. For instance, the company is in the process of replacing tens of thousands of phone booths in New York with free Wi-Fi hubs. These efforts are only possible through the acquisitions Google has made in recent years of businesses working on LinkNYC, merging them to produce entities capable of providing free internet access to people. There is also talk of these Wi-Fi Hubs offering free domestic calls. Considering the fact that the New York project alone will cost Google an estimated $200 million, the Sidewalk Labs project is bound to prove quite costly to Google.

Lastly

According to Dan Doctoroff, this modest investment is worth the millions and billions of lives around the world whose standards of living will improve.