UAV Helicopter Flies 12 Hours Charged By Laser

garymortimer writes "LaserMotive (who last year won $900,000 in the NASA Power Beaming Challenge, one of the levels of the 'Space Elevator Games') have teamed up with Germany's Ascending Technologies to create an indoor flight record for electrically powered multicopters. The flight took place at the Future of Flight Aviation Center in Mukilteo, WA. LaserMotive is a Seattle-based company developing laser power beaming systems to transmit electricity without wires, for applications where wires are either cost prohibitive or physically impractical."

Re:weight

[TheLink]

I've a few remote controlled helis. In terms of tech, they're rather pathetic compared to a housefly - which can navigate by itself, manage slight breezes, find its own fuel, even reproduce. They can fly for quite a lot longer than most battery powered RC helis.

All in a very tiny package. Fruit flies are even tinier...

So we've certainly got a long way to go in terms of technology.

Re:Kind of like NASA.

[TheRaven64]

Efficient laser power systems or room-temperature superconductors are required for building a space elevator. Nothing else looks feasible for powering the climbers (you really don't want them taking fuel with them, it would add a huge amount to the energy cost).

Re:Kind of like NASA.

[strack]

yeah theres nothing else that could possibly power them. like nuclear batteries, small nuclear reactors, sending electricity along the carbon nanotube cable itself, etc etc. indeed, 7000km is the effective maximum range for *cost effective* electrical cable transmission. along regular metal.

Compared to Microwaves

[Mapleperson]

How does this compare with microwave power transfer? Is there an advantage to using lasers?