New Wave Energy UK is doing its part to restore the good name of unmanned drones with its conceptual power-harvesting UAV. The idea behind the drones is that they would fly high in the air, around 50,000 feet, and gather wind and solar energy that would then be transmitted to wireless receivers on the ground. The drones would measure 65' x 65' and would have a couple of wind turbines and a flat solar panel. The UAVs would move slowly in pursuit of the sun but would mostly hover in place.
In addition, New Wave Energy UK says that one drone could send up to 50 kW of energy to a receiver on the ground. The company is planning to run a Kickstarter campaign to secure $500,000 to help build its first working prototype, which the company says can be up and running six months after the project is funded.
What's Driving This Trend
- Drone Power
- Opportunity for companies to develop energy-harvesting drones that can transmit solar and wind energy, disrupting traditional renewable energy sources
- High Altitude Energy Harvesting
- Potential for businesses to develop means of transmitting energy harvested from high altitude sources such as wind and solar, disrupting traditional energy grids
- Wireless Energy Transmission
- Opportunity for companies to capitalize on the development of wireless energy receivers that can efficiently capture energy transmitted by UAVs, disrupting traditional methods of energy transmission
Who This Affects Most
- Renewable Energy
- The renewable energy sector can explore the development of drone technology for the purpose of energy harvesting and transmission
- Aerospace
- The aerospace industry can leverage its expertise in drone technology to develop energy-harvesting drones for commercial use and distribution
- Telecommunications
- Companies in the telecommunications industry can explore the development of wireless energy receivers to efficiently capture energy transmitted by UAVs for remote locations
