Abstract
The use of multirotor drones has increased dramatically in the last decade. These days, quadcopters and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) drones can be found in many applications such as search and rescue, inspection, commercial photography, intelligence, sports, and recreation. One of the major drawbacks of electric multirotor drones is their limited flight time. Commercial drones commonly have about 20–40 min of flight time. The short flight time limits the overall usability of drones in homeland security applications where long-duration performance is required. In this paper, we present a new concept of a “power-line-charging drone”, the idea being to equip existing drones with a robotic mechanism and an onboard charger in order to allow them to land safely on power lines and then charge from the existing 100–250 V AC (50–60 Hz). This research presents several possible conceptual models for power line charging. All suggested solutions were constructed and submitted to a field experiment. Finally, the paper focuses on the optimal solution and presents the performance and possible future development of such power-line-charging drones.
Highlights
In this work, we present a complete proof of concept of a robotic mechanism that allows a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) drone to be charged from power lines
We present a complete proof of concept of a robotic mechanism that allows a VTOL drone to be charged from power lines
This paper focuses on small commercial drones, which are widely used for such applications
Summary
We present a complete proof of concept of a robotic mechanism that allows a VTOL drone to be charged from power lines. Motivated by the demanding challenge of constructing a long-duration multirotor platform, we designed an “add-on” mechanism that allows a commercial drone to safely land on power lines, perform a short-term charging loop (in 1–2 C), and take off safely from the power line. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The wire landing gear and robotic meter. (Right) Actual charging of 196 Watt -as measured by the onboard current sensor The wire landing gear and robotic meter. (Right) Actual charging of 196 Watt -as measured by the onboard current sensor
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