With funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Electric Sky has developed a "Whisper-Beam" transmitter that can charge drones in flight. At present, this transmitter has entered the actual manufacturing stage.
In the past, transmitters used to charge aerial drones usually used laser technology or microwave technology. When charging starts, the transmitter can emit a strong laser beam or microwave beam, but as the distance from the drone increases, the intensity of the laser beam or microwave beam gradually decreases. The “echo beam” transmitter is the opposite. When charging starts, the charging beam intensity is weaker, but the charging beam intensity around the drone's charging receiver gradually increases.
Electric Sky said that the principle of the "echo beam" technology is similar to the principle of electromagnetic oscillation in the echo gallery. No one else in the time can hear it. For these people, the voice is too small to hear."
The airborne receiver uses this "echo beam" technology to automatically focus, so that the UAV can obtain kilowatts of power in any weather conditions. However, except for the location of the drone, the radio waves in other places are very weak.
Electric Sky pointed out that long-distance charging has always been a myth. It is neither possible nor economical to manufacture. But "echo beam" technology can not only reduce the cost of terrestrial transmitters, but also reduce the size of airborne receivers. Using this technology, "ground transmitters can charge various types of aircraft such as full-electricity, hydrogen fuel cell, and hybrid power."
Electric Sky also revealed that under the DARPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the company will also explore a wireless architecture for charging drone swarms. At the same time, the company is also manufacturing prototype transmitters that can achieve close-range charging and testing them on a test bench. Use the data obtained from the experiment to upgrade the equipment to realize high-power charging for aerial drones over a longer distance.
