The use of drones for commercial enterprises is steadily growing.  Here in the United States of America the use of drones for deliveries are in the beginning stages of reality, while in parts of Europe they are fully operational.  Drones are being used in fields like search and rescue, security, and inspections as well.  The logistical details governing the flight paths of drones are quickly advancing.  However, one issue that is holding back the progress of drones for these flights that require longer airborne times, especially drones for government purposes, are the batteries that drones use for power.

For most drones the amount of time they can stay airborne is dependent on the size of their battery.  To keep a drone light enough to fly, the battery must remain proportional to the size of the drone.  This results in most commercial drones having a top flight time of around 30 minutes on average.  As the demands for drones increase, an increase in their flight times are also increasing.  That is why many companies, like Facebook, Google, and Amazon have begun looking into the design of solar powered drones.  As of yet they have found little success because the panels needed to provide adequate flight time are still to heavy to be practical.  However, one company claims to have mastered this obstacle. 

This past year Robert Miller and John Parkes founded Skydweller Aero Inc. with a team of aerospace industry experts.  The small company has their main office in Madrid, ES and a second location in Alexandria, VA.  As stated on their website, “Skydweller is a US-Spanish aerospace company developing the world’s first solar-powered, unmanned perpetual flight vehicles. These unprecedented autonomous systems will enhance government and commercial telecommunication, geospatial, meteorological, and emergency operation efforts around the world allowing our customers to operate in more challenging areas for longer durations with reduced environmental impact.”  With 15 years of proven success in the field of UAVs it is no wonder that Leonardo, the Italian Aerospace and Defense company, has invested in Skydweller’s drone.

Though the exact investment amount has not been made public, Leonardo is hoping that their investment into Skydweller will set them ahead of the competition in global drone use.  The Skydweller drone will be able to carry out unlimited flight times with heavy payloads, without a negative environmental impact.  The drone will be operational from airbases around the world and is set to surpass the flight capabilities of other aircraft currently being used in the securities and military sectors.  This drone had already successfully circumnavigated the globe in 2016.  Now Skydweller is working to increase the functionality of the drone’s systems.

The first step in this process is to create software the will take the drone from a manned platform to an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV).  Currently the teams are working on “integrating advanced autonomy algorithms and vehicle management systems”.  Once the software is complete it will be programmed into their drone with light enough solar panels to support unlimited flight time.  Not only will the drone be able to fly endlessly, but it will be built to withstand any environmental obstacles it may encounter.

Leonardo, who works with many government agencies, sees this drone being able to fill the gaps in integrated  surveillance systems and improve situational awareness, all while being a cost effective means to an end.  Alessandro Profumo, the CEO of Leonardo  sees this investment as the next logical step in the continued advancement of their UAV enterprise.  He said, “As the key technological investor and partner of the project, Leonardo will broaden its capabilities in new power systems, autonomous flight, innovative aerostructures, ultra-light materials and eco-friendly technologies to improve the company’s competitive advantage in the aerospace business for the next 20 years.”

For now, the drone system being built by Skydweller is being projected to run fully autonomous testing by the end of 2020 with the goal of having the first production model of the drone ready within 2021.  As of now, under the investmentship of Leonardo, it is likely that the first drones produced will be for military use.  However, as the software and hardware are tested and improved it cold be in the near future that drones used in everyday commercial enterprises will also have the freedom of unlimited flight from solar power.

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