3 ms·
Something that has been on my mind for a while is how much efficiency is needed (and how far from that are we) to have a drone hold itself aloft on it's own sol
by Lerc 9y ago
Something that has been on my mind for a while is how much efficiency is needed (and how far from that are we) to have a drone hold itself aloft on it's own solar power.
It's probably a bit tricky to get data on solar panel efficiency by weight.
- aaronblohowiak 9y agoWhy not LTA?
- extrapickles 9y agoYou can have an easier time if the solar panels are mounted on the bottom of the drone, and you shine a large laser at them. Disclaimer: I am involved with a company that does it this way. Nasa has built[0] a drone awhile back that flies on solar power, though it was limited to flights during daylight hours as not enough mass was available for enough batteries to last the night. [0]: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/Erast/centurion2.html https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/Era...