1. Tiny solar-powered drones could stay aloft indefinitely.
- Author
-
Sparkes, Matthew
- Subjects
- *
SOLAR panels , *ALUMINUM foil , *ROTORS (Helicopters) , *ELECTRIC motors , *COMMERCIAL drones - Abstract
Researchers at Beihang University in China have developed a tiny solar-powered drone weighing just 4 grams, which is the smallest solar-powered aerial vehicle to fly. While the prototype only operated for an hour, the team believes their approach could lead to insect-sized drones that can stay in the air indefinitely. To overcome the challenge of small solar panels producing less power, the researchers developed a circuit that scales up the voltage produced by the panels. They also used an electrostatic propulsion system instead of an electromagnetic motor, allowing the drone to fly using natural sunlight. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF