K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
The Defense Research Intelligence Agency, the gonzo R&D arm of the Pentagon, has had a hand in inventing everything from GPS and speech translation to the early precursors of the internet. (The agency also tried to develop a mechanical elephant to traverse South Vietnam, but who’s keeping count). Now the agency is working with a startup to explore ways to wirelessly charge drones mid-flight.
The company, Seattle-based Electric Sky, was awarded $225,000 as part of DARPA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program to create what they’re calling the world’s first “Whisper Beam” transmitter according to a press release. While previous wireless charging for drones has relied on microwaves and lasers that get weaker as they travel over a distance, the Whisper Beam aims to do the opposite and would get stronger as it approaches a receiver, the company’s CEO Robert Millman said. Electric Sky reportedly uses a transmitter that sends out radio waves that then focus on the receiver, in this case, the drone.
“Whisper Beam technology is the electromagnetic equivalent of a whispering gallery,” Millman said. “In a whispering gallery a single listener across the room can hear the speaker but no one else can, not even people standing directly between the speaker and listener. The sound is too weak for them to hear.”
DARPA has a long history of interest in drone projects. For years, the agency has envisioned a program called OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) that would see drone swarms of up to 250 unmanned aircraft enter battle alongside small teams of soldiers. The agency believes these small drone armies could soon help soldiers in clear buildings in urban areas and conduct reconnaissance.
Continue reading: https://gizmodo.com/darpa-is-exploring-ways-to-wirelessly-charge-drone-swar-1848181989
The company, Seattle-based Electric Sky, was awarded $225,000 as part of DARPA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program to create what they’re calling the world’s first “Whisper Beam” transmitter according to a press release. While previous wireless charging for drones has relied on microwaves and lasers that get weaker as they travel over a distance, the Whisper Beam aims to do the opposite and would get stronger as it approaches a receiver, the company’s CEO Robert Millman said. Electric Sky reportedly uses a transmitter that sends out radio waves that then focus on the receiver, in this case, the drone.
“Whisper Beam technology is the electromagnetic equivalent of a whispering gallery,” Millman said. “In a whispering gallery a single listener across the room can hear the speaker but no one else can, not even people standing directly between the speaker and listener. The sound is too weak for them to hear.”
DARPA has a long history of interest in drone projects. For years, the agency has envisioned a program called OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) that would see drone swarms of up to 250 unmanned aircraft enter battle alongside small teams of soldiers. The agency believes these small drone armies could soon help soldiers in clear buildings in urban areas and conduct reconnaissance.
Continue reading: https://gizmodo.com/darpa-is-exploring-ways-to-wirelessly-charge-drone-swar-1848181989
