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Parasitic spy planes stop to recharge at power-lines

December 23, 2007 on 7:01 am |

Filed under: Robots, Transportation

What's the best way to extend the range of a smallish 3-foot flying drone? Well, you probably don't want to do any aerial refueling with a micro air tanker or anything like that -- at least not according to the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), which wants to create electric drones that are able to land and attach themselves to power lines and withdraw their wings so as to look like trash or debris. Of course, the theory isn't without problems, like what happens when there's a power surge, or how to prevent sparks when tapping into a 400 kilovolt power line, or how to stop people from freaking out when they find bat-like spy-planes hanging upside down from their clotheslines.

[Original photo by Bob Fornal]

 

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