Drones are quickly becoming a ubiquitous presence in a variety of industries, from photography to product delivery. However, one challenge facing drone manufacturers and operators is the limited battery life of most drones, which can restrict the amount of time a drone can spend in the air.
One possible solution to this problem is to design drones that can take advantage of the force of the wind to extend their flight times. In this Blog I am going to discuss a new inspection drone that has been developed with this capability in mind.
Before going into the details of the new inspection drone, it's important to understand the challenges drone manufacturers and operators face in terms of battery life. Most drones are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which have limited capacity and can take a long time to recharge. In addition, the weight of the batteries can limit the maneuverability and speed of the drone, making it less efficient in certain situations.
To address these issues, some drone manufacturers have developed hybrid drones that use a combination of batteries and gasoline engines. These drones can fly for longer periods of time and cover greater distances than battery-powered drones, but they are often heavier and more expensive.
Another possible solution is to design drones that can take advantage of the force of the wind to extend their flight times. This approach has been used successfully in gliders and other aircraft, but has not yet been widely adopted in the drone industry.
The new inspection drone that we will talk about in this article has been developed by Elythor, they have called it Morpho , and its wings are adjustable depending on how the wind comes to help it sustain. You can see a photo below.
The key feature of the drone is its ability to use the wind to extend its flight time. The drone is equipped with wings that can be extended in the appropriate direction to take advantage of the circulating wind, thus reducing its consumption and therefore extending the duration of the flight.
The drone is also equipped with a range of sensors and cameras that allow it to capture high-resolution images and data of the object being inspected. These sensors can detect cracks, corrosion, and other defects that may not be visible to the naked eye, allowing engineers and inspectors to identify potential problems before they escalate.
Using wind power to extend the flight time of drones has several potential benefits. Firstly, it can allow drones to operate for longer periods of time without needing to recharge or refuel as frequently. This can be especially useful for applications like infrastructure inspection, where drones may need to fly for quite some time.
Additionally, by harnessing the wind, the weight and cost of the drone can be reduced by eliminating the need for heavier batteries. This can make the drone more maneuverable and easy to transport, while also reducing its environmental impact.
In any case, since the wind activity is variable, it is somewhat more difficult to predict the time that the drone will be able to stay in the air doing its job.
A video can be seen at: https://youtu.be/tOUkn7YmYV4
EN 
ES_ES 