It is not uncommon to see flocks of crows perching on electric lines. However, they may someday share that space with visiting drones. Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark have been looking into ways that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) could recharge their batteries by parking themselves on power lines, reports GovTech. The process would allow the UAV to grip onto the line and draw power through an inductive charger.
The Danish team describes their method as “a first-in-the-world system with the ability to sustain operation throughout many inspection/charging cycles powered by energy harvesting from power lines in a real outdoor environment.”
They noted that it would be extremely useful for drones conducting power line inspections to stay on the job longer by pausing to recharge when a drop in battery power was detected.
For their tests, the team used a Tarot 650 Sport drone that they customized with an electric quadcopter propulsion system, autopilot mode and other features, according to GovTech. They reported that their prototype was able to stay aloft for over two hours, alternating inspection tasks with periodic recharges.
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