Overview
- Researchers at Xidian University demonstrated a car-mounted microwave system that sent power to a fixed-wing drone while both the vehicle and the aircraft were moving.
- In trials, the setup kept the drone aloft for up to 3.1 hours at roughly 15 meters using an antenna array on the plane’s underside.
- The team held the beam on target by pairing GPS with real-time tracking and onboard flight controls that nudged the drone to stay aligned.
- The peer-reviewed study, published March 25 in Aeronautical Science & Technology, reported only about 3% to 5% of the beamed power reached the drone and that gusts and small position errors caused power swings.
- Analysts say the concept could serve as a mobile “land-based aircraft carrier” for longer missions, and U.S. work, including DARPA’s laser power beaming tests, shows a wider push to enable in-flight charging through different methods.