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October 21, 2010 -
LaserMotive, an independent R&D company specializing in laser power
beaming and winner of the 2009 NASA-sponsored Power Beaming Competition,
announced it will attempt to break its own world record for
laser-powered helicopter flight at the Future of Flight Aviation Center
located at The flight, which will consist of an unmanned "quadrocopter" free-flying inside of the Future of Flight Aviation Center, will commence in the early evening on Wednesday, October 27 and will end on Thursday morning by 8:00 AM. The quadrocopter will be powered solely with laser power beaming the wireless transfer of energy over distances using laser light to create an endless source of power to the aircraft. |
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Previously,
LaserMotive set the world record for the longest-duration laser-powered
helicopter flight when it flew a tethered remote-controlled helicopter
up to six hours at a time for four days at the AUVSI Conference in
"We are very
pleased to host this record breaking event, which could genuinely impact
the future of flight," said Barry Smith, Executive Director of the
Future of Flight Foundation. "For us, the innovation behind the
technology is what makes this project so meaningful and we applaud
LaserMotive's achievements as the leader in the field of beamed power."
The LaserMotive
laser power beaming system is based on technology the company developed
for its winning entry in the 2009 Power Beaming Challenge for a purse
prize of nearly $1 million, marking the first time any team ever won the
Challenge. The demonstration is part of the company's long-term strategy
to develop a full-scale laser power system for unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) -- currently one of the largest growth sectors in the aerospace
and defense industries with an expected growth rate worldwide to $11.5
billion annually by 2020. |