PROFILE
IN LATE JUNE , a solar-powered drone developed by Facebook took to the skies for a 96 minute test flight . The aircraft , called Aquila , might have the wingspan of a jet airliner , but it isn ’ t designed for commercial passenger flight . The minds behind the world ’ s most popular social network have an entirely different plan for their unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ): ‘ beaming ’ internet signals to communities in remote locations .
With Google also carrying out internet-delivery drone trials early this year , it ’ s clear that tech giants feels unmanned aircraft are part of the industry ’ s future . Facebook is still assessing whether Aquila will be an efficient and effective alternative to simply installing network
infrastructure in unconnected regions . However , this doesn ’ t mean that other developers are waiting for a big name to prove the technology is viable before moving into the market .
The many uses of a solar drone “ Right now , it certainly seems like unmanned aircraft are a ‘ no-brainer ’. It ’ s going to happen and it has the potential to be quite big ,” says Rich Kapusta , Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sales at Alta Devices , a California company which specialises in delivering the world ’ s most thin and efficient mobile solar technologies . This year , the company broke the world record for dual-junction solar cell efficiency and currently holds the record with 31.6 percent of sunlight
All images © 2016 Alta Devices . All rights reserved .
8 November 2016