????谷歌（Google）并不是唯一一家靠收購(gòu)殺入機(jī)器人大戰(zhàn)的科技公司,。據(jù)科技網(wǎng)站TechCrunch報(bào)道,，F(xiàn)acebook目前正在與一家太陽(yáng)能高空無(wú)人機(jī)廠家Titan Aerospace接洽。這家公司生產(chǎn)的無(wú)人機(jī)能夠在高空?qǐng)?zhí)行任務(wù)長(zhǎng)達(dá)五年,，中間無(wú)需落地加油,。這正好是用來(lái)向世界欠發(fā)達(dá)地區(qū)提供互聯(lián)網(wǎng)接口的理想載體，也是Facebook最有可能招攬來(lái)“下一個(gè)十億用戶”的平臺(tái),。

????Facebook拒絕對(duì)此事發(fā)表評(píng)論,，公司一名代表在寫給《財(cái)富》的一封電子郵件中稱此事只是“傳言和推測(cè)”。不過(guò)如果傳言是真的,，那么Facebook可能很快就能利用Titan Aerospace的技術(shù),，在全球網(wǎng)絡(luò)不發(fā)達(dá)地區(qū)對(duì)谷歌和各大移動(dòng)運(yùn)營(yíng)商形成強(qiáng)有力的挑戰(zhàn)（Facebook公司CEO馬克?扎克伯格也認(rèn)為這些互聯(lián)網(wǎng)發(fā)展滯后的第三世界國(guó)家將是Facebook下一個(gè)巨大的增長(zhǎng)機(jī)會(huì)）。只要11000架Titan無(wú)人機(jī),，就可以在高空中向這些地區(qū)覆蓋足夠的信號(hào),，讓所有接觸不到互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的人都感受到網(wǎng)絡(luò)的方便與快捷。如果Facebook擁有了這些無(wú)人機(jī),，那么我們可以很自然地推測(cè),，這些國(guó)家和地區(qū)的人們無(wú)疑會(huì)用上Facebook的社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)以及它最近剛剛收購(gòu)的WhatsApp來(lái)跟人聯(lián)系。

????這個(gè)理念與谷歌氣球計(jì)劃大同小異,。谷歌的做法是用高空氣象氣球搭載相關(guān)設(shè)備,，讓它充當(dāng)一個(gè)大型的懸空Wi-Fi信號(hào)源。目前,，谷歌正在南太平洋測(cè)試這種“氣球陣”網(wǎng)絡(luò),。但是Titan的技術(shù)可能在好幾個(gè)方面都比谷歌的“氣球陣”更理想。首先Titan的無(wú)人機(jī)比起一般的高空飛行器更像一種低軌道的衛(wèi)星（甚至連這家公司自己都稱它們是“大氣層中的衛(wèi)星”）,，而且它的載重量很可觀,，還可以飛行相當(dāng)長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間。

????其次,，與傳統(tǒng)飛行器不同,，這家公司的Solara　50和Solara　60型太陽(yáng)能無(wú)人機(jī)不需要經(jīng)常著陸加油。它們機(jī)身上的電池會(huì)在白天儲(chǔ)存足夠的能量，支撐無(wú)人機(jī)度過(guò)夜晚,，而且這兩型無(wú)人機(jī)分別有著70磅和250磅的載重量,。另外，無(wú)人機(jī)不像衛(wèi)星和熱氣球,，它可以迅速改變位置,，到達(dá)需要的地方進(jìn)行覆蓋。由于它可以飛到海平面以上10英里的高度,，也就是對(duì)流層頂部,，因此不用擔(dān)心它們受到氣流、天氣和民用航空器的影響,。另外,，它的高度也超過(guò)了國(guó)際大多數(shù)航空管制規(guī)定的范疇（比如美國(guó)聯(lián)邦航空局的高度管理上限大約是60,000英尺）。

????另外,，如果這筆收購(gòu)是真的,，F(xiàn)acebook在此時(shí)收購(gòu)Titan也是一個(gè)正確的時(shí)機(jī)。目前Titan還是一家私人公司（它在華盛頓和紐約市都有辦事處,，但它的研發(fā)工作主要是在新墨西哥州的墨里亞蒂）,，資金主要來(lái)自種子基金,。而且,，雖然它已經(jīng)通過(guò)試飛證明了自己的技術(shù)，但是Solara 50還要等到今年年底才有可能投入商用,，Solara 60則至少要等到明年,。Titan公司高層去年8月在華盛頓舉辦的世界最大的無(wú)人機(jī)展會(huì)接受《財(cái)富》采訪時(shí)，幾位高級(jí)工程師強(qiáng)調(diào),，他們的目標(biāo)是生產(chǎn)價(jià)格在200萬(wàn)美元以下,、且便于操作和養(yǎng)護(hù)的無(wú)人機(jī)，而且他們差不多已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備好試飛了,，只不過(guò)當(dāng)時(shí)還沒(méi)有,。

????Google isn't the only web giant buying its way into the robotics game, or the ubiquitous global Internet game, for that matter. According to TechCrunch, Facebook is in talks to buy Titan Aerospace, a maker of high-flying, solar powered drone aircraft capable of staying aloft for up to five years without ever having to land or refuel -- ideal platforms for beaming Internet to remote regions of the world where Facebook's "next billion" are currently waiting to be plugged into the web.

????If the rumors are true -- Facebook declined to comment on what a representative termed "rumors and speculation" in an email to Fortune -- Facebook (FB) could soon leverage Titan's technology to challenge everyone from Google (GOOG) to mobile carriers in parts of the world where Internet is scarce (and where CEO Mark Zuckerberg sees Facebook's next big growth opportunity). A fleet of 11,000 Titan aircraft could loiter in the sky high above remote regions providing enough signal to connect populations below with the rest of the world. And if Facebook owns the drones, it stands to reason those people will be connecting through platforms like Facebook's eponymous social network or recent acquisition WhatsApp.

????The concept is very similar to Google's Project Loon, which is currently testing a network of high-flying weather balloons acting as overhead Internet hubs for remote regions in the South Pacific. But Titan's technology could trump Google's in several aspects. Titan's aircraft are more like low-flying satellites than high-flying aircraft (in fact the company refers to them as "atmospheric satellites"), capable of carrying a whole lot of payload for long periods of time.

????Unlike conventional aircraft, the solar-powered Solara 50 and Solara 60 don't have to regularly land to refuel -- onboard batteries store enough energy during the day to power the aircraft through the night (as well as enough to power 70 pounds and 250 pounds of payload, respectively). Unlike satellites and balloons, they can be rapidly repositioned to provide coverage where needed. If something goes wrong, they can land for repairs and relaunch rapidly -- something far more difficult for balloons and impossible for satellites. Flying in an atmospheric sweet spot roughly 10 miles above sea level known as the tropopause, the aircraft are generally untroubled by winds, weather, commercial air traffic, and most international aviation regulations (the FAA, for example, stops regulating air traffic at roughly 60,000 feet).

????Moreover, if the acquisition proves real, Facebook could be getting Titan at just the right time. Thus far privately held Titan (the company has offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, but runs its research and development out of Moriarty, N.M.) has supported itself through seed funding, and while it has demonstrated its technology in test flights, the Solara 50 and Solara 60 won't be ready for commercial service until later this year and next year, respectively. When Fortune spoke to Titan leadership in August at the world's biggest drone confab in Washington, D.C., senior engineers stressed that their focus is on producing a sub-$2 million aircraft that is simple to operate and maintain and that they were almost ready to put one in the sky, though they hadn't -- yet.