Amazon Drones Could Face Competition In Google Robots

Andy Rubin, the man behind Google's robotic efforts, in a 2011 event in Mountain View, California. (2011 Getty Images)

Just a couple of days after Amazon unveiled its plan to deliver packages by drone, Google said it is heading an effort to deliver packages via robot.

According to the New York Times, Google's robotic efforts, led by the man who built the Android software for smartphones, "appear to be more realistic" than Amazon's proposed drone delivery service.

Google acknowledges the reality of an automated car racing to your doorstep to deliver a package is a "moonshot," but over the last half year it has injected a significant amount of funds into creating a new generation of robots.

According to the Times, the behemoth tech company has acquired seven technology companies in the past six months meant to build up its robotoics program lead by 50-year-old Android creator, Andy Rubin.

Rubin said the vision of a robot delivering packages to your door is "a 10-year vision."

But Google is mainly thought to be aiming their current robotics efforts at manufacturing not consumers — think more automated supply chains that speed up the delivery process from a factory to your home.

Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is working on a way to use small self-guided flying drones to get parcels to customers in 30 minutes or less. Amazon.com Inc. says however that it can take years for the so-called Prime Air project to advance the technology and for the Federal Aviation Administration to create the necessary rules and regulations.

The project was first reported by CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday night, hours before millions of shoppers turned to their computers to hunt Cyber Monday bargains.