WA–PowerLight Applied sciences, a world chief in secure wi-fi energy switch, producing long-distance, high-power options that ship mission crucial energy to hard-to-reach areas, as we speak introduced it’s working with United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the DOD’s Operational Vitality Innovation Directorate, to display supply of wi-fi energy beaming to a Group-2 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) aloft at 5,000 ft altitude, permitting it to quickly recharge in flight and to conduct its mission with out touchdown. The demonstration program, referred to as Energy TRansmitted Over Laser to UAS (PTROL-UAS), is a part of the DOD’s initiative to maximise effectiveness of autonomous techniques by extending their vary, operational endurance, and payload capacities to conduct crucial surveillance and communications missions.
PowerLight is conducting an alpha integration of this functionality in partnership with Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, who presently gives extremely lengthy endurance UASs (KL1000ULE) to each the U.S. Navy and U.S. Military. This disruptive built-in functionality can be showcased in an built-in wi-fi energy beaming flight demonstration, deliberate for Fall of 2025.
“US Central Command (CENTCOM) wishes to make use of power on the battlefield in new and disruptive methods. Wi-fi energy beaming to aerial autonomous techniques (UAS) is one such means, and the present Energy Transferred Over Laser PTROL – UAS program is growing this new functionality for subject check and analysis. CENTCOM is supporting and main the PTROL – UAS wi-fi energy beaming to Group 2 UAS program and, following profitable subject check and analysis, is supportive of the transition of this functionality to fulfill present and future operational necessities. Operation forces are conscious of our work in energy beaming and need to maneuver this functionality into the battlefield instantly,” mentioned Eric Follstad, Science Advisor and Necessities & Expertise Chief, USCENTCOM.
Funding for this system comes from a number of service entities, in addition to in-kind contributions from non-public traders. PowerLight is saying an award this week from the DOD’s Operational Vitality Prototyping Fund (OEPF) for as much as $5M and $2M acquired from the Operational Vitality Functionality Enchancment Fund (OECIF) this summer season that launched this system.
PowerLight will work with CENTCOM, DOD, and main aerospace firms to develop and useful resource a complete, multi-year program for speedy prototyping, maturing and productizing energy beaming techniques for multidomain autonomous techniques and making them accessible to the companies.
“Dynamically delivering wi-fi energy to UAS aloft considerably will increase their vary, extends operational endurance, and reduces dangers to mission and personnel, significantly in contested logistics environments,” mentioned Richard Gustafson, President and CEO of PowerLight. “The DOD envisions wi-fi energy beaming as a aggressive benefit, a catalyst to provoke the method of breaking the chain of fossil gasoline dependency and enabling autonomy at scale. Particularly, energy beaming permits autonomous techniques, together with these working within the stratosphere, which can be maximized to ship extraordinarily excessive worth communication protection for protection and telecom firms, together with higher-resolution sensing, imaging, and reconnaissance capabilities. This program transitions energy beaming in direction of a commercially-available functionality, and the persevering with technical, operational and monetary assist of OECIF, OEPF, and CENTCOM, means it’s going to quickly be within the arms of those who want it most,” continued Gustafson.
PowerLight is a world chief in energy beaming and energy beaming security with a robust IP portfolio on this space. PowerLight has developed superior security techniques for each wi-fi energy beaming and energy over fiber (PoF) which have been accepted by a number of governing businesses, enabling large-scale commercialization of the expertise.
About PowerLight
PowerLight Applied sciences is a number one developer of secure laser energy beaming options to transmit kilowatt-class energy over kilometer-scale distance. PowerLight is ramping developments with business companions for each power-over-fiber and free area energy beaming options. PowerLight maintains headquarters in Kent, Washington, USA. For added info go to www.powerlighttech.com
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