A pilot flew a manned aircraft operating fully on solar power for about twenty minutes last Friday. While solar powered aircraft are not new, this prototype by Luminati Aerospace LLC may be the precursor to unmanned solar-powered drones capable of flying at 60,000 feet and delivering internet access globally. Luminati Aerospace isn’t answering any questions about which large companies may be behind the project, but it is speculated that Google or Apple may have a role.
Solar powered drones capable of flying for an almost indefinite amount of time may also be able to provide low carbon-footprint assistance in the industrial sector as well. A solar drone equipped with sensors and vision systems could be able to evaluate difficult to reach or remote sites like wind and solar farms, or communities operating outside the grid.
Drones have also seen use inside plants, where they can scan packages and ensure stock faster and more efficiently than human operators. Drones that will be used indoors might make use of other forms of alternative energy, such as compressed natural gas, or microalgaes.
Alternative energy sources are removing some of the biggest limitations on drones and other unmanned equipment. InduSoft predicts that we will see an increase of solar technology particularly in agriculture, where solar-powered tractors and combines may eventually be used to do the automated work of the modern industrial farm.