The patent application describes an aircraft that has an H-shaped frame, a structure Google says may prove more capable of carrying a rotating screen and still be constructed from lightweight materials. The drone may also carry a projection system for beaming images from the remote pilot onto walls or surfaces in the room, as well as an audio system for voice communication between participants. Although Google primarily describes the drone as a way for colleagues to collaborate when not working from the same place, the company also writes about how it could be used by "a medical professional consulting with a patient and/or another medical professional at a different location" or "an instructor providing instruction to students at remote locations." The application shows how a smartphone can be docked to the drone and used for the onboard processing and control of the aircraft, as well as the drone's audio and video functions. —By April Glaser, Recode.net. CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Recode's parent Vox, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.
Google may develop a drone small yet strong enough to offer videoconferencing services to businesses, according to a patent application filed by the company. The papers describe an agile, H-shaped quadcopter drone that is equipped with an audio communications system, is able to carry a rotating screen and possibly a projection system. There would also be a smartphone dock for processing and controlling the device. Google also said in the filing that the drone could be used in an educational or medical context.