Google X is like the CIA of Google, a project that most of the employees in Google aren't even aware of. A lab that'll experiment with ideas that seem to have crept out of sci-fi movies.

A place for the future, a place where ideas shoot for the stars, a vision that will change our lives through the power of internet and technology. Imagine your refrigerator automatically detecting your empty can of milk and shortage of beer, a refrigerator that is programmed to order groceries for you. Driverless cars of course may seem obsolete, but how about an elevator to outer space or robots who can flawlessly tackle your work and domestic chores.

Google X, a mystery lab is rumored to be divided into two office buildings, with one for logistics in Google's Mountain view campus and the other robotics projects in a secret location.

A recent story by New York Times sheds light on how Google is dedicating some of its top engineers and electric scientists towards this project. The members of Google X have been hired from Microsoft, Nokia Labs, Stanford, M.I.T., Carnegie Mellon and New York University.

According to New York Times:

"A leader at Google X is Sebastian Thrun, one of the world’s top robotics and artificial intelligence experts, who teaches computer science at Stanford and invented the world’s first driverless car. Also at the lab is Andrew Ng, another Stanford professor, who specializes in applying neuroscience to artificial intelligence to teach robots and machines to operate like people. 

Johnny Chung Lee, a specialist in human-computer interaction, came to Google X from Microsoft this year after helping develop Microsoft’s Kinect, the video game player that responds to human movement and voice. At Google X, where he is working on the Web of things, according to people familiar with his role, he has the mysterious title of rapid evaluator."

Google's co-founder, Sergey Brin is closely involved in this project, while Larry Page is making sure that the shareholders don't get too uncomfortable with what's happening behind those tightly closed doors of Google X. "There are a few small, speculative projects happening at any one time, but we are very careful stewards of shareholders’ money,” says Page. “We are not betting the farm on these.”

The first time when we heard about Google X was way back in 2005, but Google shut the project without any official announcement. And now years later, Google X has surfaced again...this does seem like something CIA would do.

Google X is currently a concept, where around 100 far-fetched ideas have been selected to make them a reality. "This is pretty far out right now, but Google's not an ordinary company , so almost nothing applies." says Rodney Brooks, founder of Heartland Robotics and professor at MIT's computer science and artificial intelligence lab.

All we can do is speculate what members of Google X are up to, you never know someday you see a video on YouTube showcasing new generation robots going to work for you while you chill at home with your refrigerator making sure that you are well fed. Tweets from your dinner plate sharing what you eating with the entire Twitterverse or maybe one day "space elevator' a fantasy of Google's co-founders may start to become reality.

In the meanwhile, have a look at this fun animated video where folks at NMA.tv have described what Google X could be all about:





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