Google Projects that could change the World

Google parent company Alphabet has so many projects cooking it can be difficult to keep track. But there are some that could truly change the world. Here are the mind-blowing projects.

The smart contact lenses project is run by Alphabet's Verily Company, which was originally named Google Life Sciences. The lenses could be solar-powered and collect biological data about the wearer. Sensors embedded in the contacts could collect information like body temperature and blood-alcohol content. The lenses could also have glucose sensors to measure sugar levels in your tears. 

Project Loon aims to provide internet access to rural areas and parts of the world where it's difficult to access the web. The balloons will fly 60,000 to 90,000 feet in the air, or two to three times higher than airplanes fly. They'll be powered by solar, allowing them to stay airborne for 100 days at a time. The balloons will beam LTE signals to the ground. 

Now run under Alphabet's Google X division, Makani Power makes an airborne device called an 'energy kite' to create renewable energy. An energy kite is equipped with rotors that help it lift off the ground. Once it's in flight, the wind forces the rotors to act like individual turbines. The system reportedly generates 50 per cent more energy than traditional turbines and uses 90 per cent less materials. 

The tech giant plans to beam the internet around the world using drones as part of its Project Titan. Dubbed the Titan Aerospace Solara 50, the drone can stay airborne for five years straight, thanks to the 3,000 solar cells on its wingspan.

About 1.24 million people worldwide die each year in collisions, with that number expected to rise to 2.2 million by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. But having driverless cars on the road can greatly reduce the number of accidents. Google's driverless cars are leading the industry, having driven over 1.7 million miles in autonomous mode since 2009. 

Google X The research team is developing tiny magnetic particles called nanoparticles that can attach to cells, proteins, or other molecules. Google X is also developing a wearable that would use a magnet to count the particles consistently. The system could provide an early warning system for cancer. 

Google's artificial intelligence could truly change the world as we know it. When Google's AI system AlphaGo beat a world champion at the complex game of Go, it garnered a lot of praise. If Google's AI continues to advance on the track it's on today, it could open a world of possibilities, like building conscious machines. 

Run by Calico, a company under Alphabet that stands for California Life Company, the project's researchers are looking at things like genes that correlate to longer lifespans in certain people. There's still very little information out there about what Calico is working on.