INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Even the most power-efficient drones can only fly for about half an hour without needing a charge, but the United States Army is working on
(solar panels), giving them a boost from up to 500 meters away
If such a system could be fitted to a drone, it would remove the need for docking and charging, allowing the craft to stay aloft for hours
intelligence-gathering.Hot stuffIt's an ingenious idea, but there are a few potential pitfalls
Firstly, any light energy not converted to electricity will be turned into heat, which could melt the drone mid-flight
these problems by developing more accurate targeting, and finding more effective ways to dissipate thermal energy
It's currently working on a working model that will demonstrate the process ground-to-ground, and intends to have a ground-to-air system
operational by 2020.It's highly unlikely we'll see such remote charging technology in consumer drones any time soon though
