3 ms·
Think low-cost drones [1,2], not satellites. I can imagine a constellation of drones, linked by modulated laser/led/radio beams beamed though the air. If usin
by femto 13y ago
Think low-cost drones [1,2], not satellites. I can imagine a constellation of drones, linked by modulated laser/led/radio beams beamed though the air. If using light/IR, a challenge would be keeping the beam pointing at the photo-diode (optical phased array?). The drones could link to the ground using either optical or radio. An awful lot of this work is already underway in the context of satellites.
[1] http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Solar-Powered-Drone-can-Remain-Airborne-for-Five-Years.html http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Solar-Powe...
[2] http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/08/new-9-hour-solar-powered-unmanned-aircraft-to-hit-market/ http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/08/new-9-hour-solar-pow...
- morphle 13y agoThey forget about wear and tear. The bandwidth is limited, as you should measure it in low-power high-bits/cubic-meter[1]. The higher the drone, the greater the distance therefore the lower the bandwith per cubic meter. A fast mesh network needs optical or should have ultra low power butterfly like drones with many gigabits, say one butterfly per human or per cubic meter. [1] http://thor.cs.ucsb.edu/~ravenben/papers/coreos/wei93.pdf http://thor.cs.ucsb.edu/~ravenben/papers/coreos/wei93.pdf