Engineers at the Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xianyang (PRC) have presented a drone that, once taking off, theoretically can no longer land. The secret of such phenomenal capabilities lies in the remote charging system from a ground-mounted laser that tracks the aircraft.
The “fuel tank” of the drone in this case is a photoelectric converter installed on it, which captures the laser energy. So far, its energy efficiency is low. However, with available and cheap electricity, this does not really matter, and the drone can “hang” above the ground indefinitely.
And yet the Chinese are not the first here. Eleven years ago, PowerLight (Washington, USA) introduced a similar LaserMotive charging system, which managed to keep the UAV in the air for two days.
In the future, such laser systems will allow drones to fly at much higher altitudes and create stable air platforms, like low-orbit satellites.
