According to foreign media reports, the US Army is studying the use of lasers to power small UAVs in flight, thereby raising wireless charging to new heights.
According to reports, multi-rotor drones proved to be valuable for military intelligence gathering. But they are extremely power hungry, which means that their flight time is generally only half an hour or even shorter.
The US Army Communications Electronics Research and Development Engineering Center in Maryland is developing a transmission system that combines modern laser pointer with high-efficiency photovoltaic cells. The goal is to provide power from 500 meters away - enough to give the drone unlimited infinity, whether it is patrolling the base or monitoring the entire fleet. The working principle of this system is to emit laser light to the photovoltaic cells of the drone, which converts the light into electrical energy.
William Raleigh, who participated in the project, said, “The main challenge we face is thermal management.” Energy that is not converted into electrical energy becomes heat, so there is a risk of melting or igniting the drone. They plan to solve this problem by developing precise laser beam control and ensuring that excess heat can be dissipated.
David Anderson of the University of Glasgow says the plan seems technically feasible. However, given the potential risks of high-energy laser beams, it is another matter to prove their safety. “The challenge is how to make the regulators believe that it is safe. Specifically, you have to convince them that the laser beam will not deviate from the drone energy harvesting plate when charging.”