© Global Energy Transmission

A network of wireless charging hotspots for drones is currently being developed by Global Energy Transmission (GET), a company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Its award-winning solution called GET Air enables battery-powered, commercially available drones to recharge rapidly and safely while still in flight. For a full charge, drones simply hover for six minutes in one of these large area power hotspots that can be installed kilometers apart along various flight routes.

Given the short life span of a drone battery (which is usually around 20 minutes), GET’s smart solution allows drone pilots to overcome this problem by providing a game changing opportunity to conveniently build Wireless Power Networks (WPNs). The company’s US Director William Kallman said that with the innovative technology GET Air could additionally be scaled up to transfer up to 200 kW of power in the near future which would allow drone taxis to be among GET’s customer base.

Key applications for GET’s innovative, high-tech solution include delivery, security, agriculture, site monitoring, mapping, transporting organs, and much more. According to the company’s website, the drone specifically built for the wireless charging network can fly for about 28 minutes, it is rated to carry 15 lb and its maximum speed is about 37 mph. The maximum power which is transmitted during the charging stage is 12 kW and servicing of the drone is typically recommended every 300 to 1,000 flight hours.

This technology which enables drones to fly forever through in-flight recharging was first showed off at the AUVSI show in Denver in May, 2018. Global Energy Transmission also has an engineering office and branch office in Moscow, Russia. The Moscow based team and executives have a solid background in engineering and physics. The company’s long term vision encompasses an infrastructure that resembles a cell tower with multiple charging stations that enable drones in the network to fly indefinitely by recharging while they are still in flight.

Global Energy Transmission is currently taking pre-orders for its game changing inflight drone recharging solution. This will include 2 industrial class drones featuring pre-installed wireless charging systems, a charging area with a 26 foot diameter, and a wireless power charger. Optionally, an autonomous power module for charging stations with either limited or no access to electricity will also be available. The GET Air package is priced at $120,000 and includes both maintenance and operational support. If everything goes according to plan, GET’s revolutionary solution will most likely reinvent the commercial drone industry, by providing 24/7 solutions in dedicated areas

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