5 ms·

Makani (of Google X) tried this at a large scale. It didn't work out for them, but they open-sourced all their stuff: https://x.company/projects/makani/ https:

Makani (of Google X) tried this at a large scale. It didn't work out for them, but they open-sourced all their stuff: https://x.company/projects/makani/ https://x.company/projects/makani/

moffkalast 5y ago
Well that's just utterly overcomplicated and overengineered. No way they could produce that at scale for dirt cheap for underdeveloped remote areas, which is what this sort of thing would be the best application for. Compared to this project that's essentially a few rings and a bike transmission.
msadowski 5y ago
I really enjoyed the documentary about their work: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qd_hEja6bzE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qd_hEja6bzE
- Cyber3x 5y ago
  This is one of the best videos on Youtube. I really liked how they documented their progress. If only the video lasted longer.
  - mainpeanut 5y ago
    Well funded grad students trying to scale-down an airplane into a kite
    - UncleOxidant 5y ago
      More like they scaled up a kite into a largish 4 rotor airplane.
- UncleOxidant 5y ago
  Very good documentary on the project. It's amazing what you can do with basically an unlimited budget. I worked at a much, much smaller kite power startup that folded soon after Google stopped funding Makani (investors lost interest because they figured if Google wasn't funding in this space it must not be viable). Anyway, looking at that documentary it seemed clear that Google must've poured hundreds of millions of dollars into that company over it's lifetime. So many engineers and so many resources. I was kind of envious, but then again the ready funding might have been part of Makani's downfall, you're forced to make different design decisions when money isn't so plentiful.
  - msadowski 5y ago
    I think they were considered a moonshot project? That’s probably one way you can justify a massive funding.
wmertens 5y ago
Very different concept though - using a steered kite vs what is basically a self-erecting small wind turbine. Way less logic and parts needed vs Makani
- AceJohnny2 5y ago
  It seems to me Makani's problem is they wanted larger scale power generation, and of course can't rely on constant wind, so needed a way to settle and recover. Of course that's not a problem for smaller-scale builds like the OP.

Makani (of Google X) tried this at a large scale. It didn't work out for them, but they open-sourced all their stuff: https://x.company/projects/makani/ https://x.company/projects/makani/

moffkalast 5y ago

Well that's just utterly overcomplicated and overengineered. No way they could produce that at scale for dirt cheap for underdeveloped remote areas, which is what this sort of thing would be the best application for. Compared to this project that's essentially a few rings and a bike transmission.

msadowski 5y ago

I really enjoyed the documentary about their work: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qd_hEja6bzE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qd_hEja6bzE

Cyber3x 5y ago
This is one of the best videos on Youtube. I really liked how they documented their progress. If only the video lasted longer.
- mainpeanut 5y ago
  Well funded grad students trying to scale-down an airplane into a kite
  - UncleOxidant 5y ago
    More like they scaled up a kite into a largish 4 rotor airplane.
UncleOxidant 5y ago
Very good documentary on the project. It's amazing what you can do with basically an unlimited budget. I worked at a much, much smaller kite power startup that folded soon after Google stopped funding Makani (investors lost interest because they figured if Google wasn't funding in this space it must not be viable). Anyway, looking at that documentary it seemed clear that Google must've poured hundreds of millions of dollars into that company over it's lifetime. So many engineers and so many resources. I was kind of envious, but then again the ready funding might have been part of Makani's downfall, you're forced to make different design decisions when money isn't so plentiful.
- msadowski 5y ago
  I think they were considered a moonshot project? That’s probably one way you can justify a massive funding.

wmertens 5y ago

Very different concept though - using a steered kite vs what is basically a self-erecting small wind turbine. Way less logic and parts needed vs Makani

AceJohnny2 5y ago
It seems to me Makani's problem is they wanted larger scale power generation, and of course can't rely on constant wind, so needed a way to settle and recover. Of course that's not a problem for smaller-scale builds like the OP.