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The proposed system still has a very weak point, the drone-controll-station and land/take off spots. The government or the MAFIAA will simply intercept the dron

The proposed system still has a very weak point, the drone-controll-station and land/take off spots. The government or the MAFIAA will simply intercept the drones on takeoff/landing. Wasnt it in the USA where a law was passed a few months ago to prohibit civil drones in the air, or at least "regulate" drone-flying? Sending stuff up in the air will be a crime.

lwat 15y ago
With some helium and a few solar cells they can stay in the air until they fail. No need to land them.
- mistercow 15y ago
  Helium is actually pretty much impossible to contain over long periods of time. That's why running out and buying helium tanks isn't a smart investment, even though it's currently being sold at far below its longterm value; by the time everyone runs out of helium, yours will have leaked away. Of course, in a thin, light vessel suitable for flight, the helium is going to escape much more quickly. I do not know if this would be an issue for a hydrogen balloon.
  - learc83 15y ago
    You can remove hydrogen from water very easily, so refilling it would be easy. Plus, hydrogen is lighter than helium.
    - solarian 15y ago
      It's a potential perpetual motion machine... Good enough solar cells, good enough membrane, good enough lightweight HHO, and a way to capture moisture from the air itself in the form on condensation or dew. It could be a small thing of water... whoa... Build IT!!!
      - nick_urban 15y ago
        That would be an incredible, sci-fi level achievement, but it would not be a "perpetual motion machine" in the common sense, because it would derive its power from the sun rather than producing it internally. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion
        solarian 15y ago
        It could work if you uses a Super Hydropholic membrane around the outer hull... Links on the subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_hydrophilicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_hydrophilicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhydrophobicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhydrophobicity It could just collect water into it, and using natural gravity it would accumulate @ the bottom where you could then, simply collect/filter it, and use it to run a HHO generator which who essentially fill the aircraft/dirigible, and power it, simultaneously... Collecting water from the air itself... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troposphere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troposphere Program the damn thing to track weather patterns, along with the usual air-pressure & humidity patterns. You could essentially, fly through clouds to absorb the water, or just keep flying within specific patterns along with the humidity patterns of the EARTH. If you wanted to do it the cheap hacker-way, and small scale... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY7uGJGvo9w&feature=related https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY7uGJGvo9w&feature=rela... http://hackaday.com/2007/12/27/24c3-build-your-own-uav/ http://hackaday.com/2007/12/27/24c3-build-your-own-uav/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain-X https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain-X A small jar HHO generator which would then feed a micro-engine(like in a R/C car) powering an electrical generator which would feed power to the HHO generator. This is already being done commercially. Solar is a way better way then combustion in the end but, its the closest thing to a TYPE-2 civilization WE will see... ;-)
        burgerbrain 15y ago
        >"A small jar HHO generator which would then feed a micro-engine(like in a R/C car) powering an electrical generator which would feed power to the HHO generator." Wait, so you split water and burn it in a generator to generate the power you're using to split the water? I would love to see someone work out the math on that one... Everything I know about chemistry suggests that the best you'll ever do is 100% efficiency, which you of course cannot hit if you're not burning all of your H2 (which you wouldn't be, since the point is to get H2 to lift the whole thing). "This is already being done commercially." Do you have an example?
deserted 15y ago
It's the opposite, actually. It's illegal right now to fly any drone above 400 feet. Drones under 400 feet must be within line of sight of the operator. The FAA will now be forced to allow civilian drone flights, mostly for photography, law enforcement, search and rescue, industrial/commercial things like movie filming and power line maintenance. I hope there will be expedited shipping personally :)

lwat 15y ago

With some helium and a few solar cells they can stay in the air until they fail. No need to land them.

mistercow 15y ago
Helium is actually pretty much impossible to contain over long periods of time. That's why running out and buying helium tanks isn't a smart investment, even though it's currently being sold at far below its longterm value; by the time everyone runs out of helium, yours will have leaked away. Of course, in a thin, light vessel suitable for flight, the helium is going to escape much more quickly. I do not know if this would be an issue for a hydrogen balloon.
- learc83 15y ago
  You can remove hydrogen from water very easily, so refilling it would be easy. Plus, hydrogen is lighter than helium.
  - solarian 15y ago
    It's a potential perpetual motion machine... Good enough solar cells, good enough membrane, good enough lightweight HHO, and a way to capture moisture from the air itself in the form on condensation or dew. It could be a small thing of water... whoa... Build IT!!!
    - nick_urban 15y ago
      That would be an incredible, sci-fi level achievement, but it would not be a "perpetual motion machine" in the common sense, because it would derive its power from the sun rather than producing it internally. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion
      - solarian 15y ago
        It could work if you uses a Super Hydropholic membrane around the outer hull... Links on the subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_hydrophilicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_hydrophilicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhydrophobicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhydrophobicity It could just collect water into it, and using natural gravity it would accumulate @ the bottom where you could then, simply collect/filter it, and use it to run a HHO generator which who essentially fill the aircraft/dirigible, and power it, simultaneously... Collecting water from the air itself... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troposphere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troposphere Program the damn thing to track weather patterns, along with the usual air-pressure & humidity patterns. You could essentially, fly through clouds to absorb the water, or just keep flying within specific patterns along with the humidity patterns of the EARTH. If you wanted to do it the cheap hacker-way, and small scale... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY7uGJGvo9w&feature=related https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY7uGJGvo9w&feature=rela... http://hackaday.com/2007/12/27/24c3-build-your-own-uav/ http://hackaday.com/2007/12/27/24c3-build-your-own-uav/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain-X https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain-X A small jar HHO generator which would then feed a micro-engine(like in a R/C car) powering an electrical generator which would feed power to the HHO generator. This is already being done commercially. Solar is a way better way then combustion in the end but, its the closest thing to a TYPE-2 civilization WE will see... ;-)
        burgerbrain 15y ago
        >"A small jar HHO generator which would then feed a micro-engine(like in a R/C car) powering an electrical generator which would feed power to the HHO generator." Wait, so you split water and burn it in a generator to generate the power you're using to split the water? I would love to see someone work out the math on that one... Everything I know about chemistry suggests that the best you'll ever do is 100% efficiency, which you of course cannot hit if you're not burning all of your H2 (which you wouldn't be, since the point is to get H2 to lift the whole thing). "This is already being done commercially." Do you have an example?

deserted 15y ago

It's the opposite, actually. It's illegal right now to fly any drone above 400 feet. Drones under 400 feet must be within line of sight of the operator. The FAA will now be forced to allow civilian drone flights, mostly for photography, law enforcement, search and rescue, industrial/commercial things like movie filming and power line maintenance. I hope there will be expedited shipping personally :)