Olaeris has announced that it has been granted U.S. Patent #9577445, outlining proprietary technology and methodology for autonomous alignment, docking, recharging and/or refuelling of unmanned aircraft. The patent also extends to water borne drones and zero-G vehicles such as spacecraft. The technology significantly reduces the most expensive part of UAS operation which is manpower.
To fly routine civilian missions and serve hundreds of commercial applications, UAVs or ‘drones’ need the ability to autonomously land and recharge or refuel quickly without human intervention. Otherwise, extra manpower is required to support operations. This patent is significant to Olaeris because its AEVA® unmanned VTOL aircraft is designed to automatically replenish itself between missions such as package delivery, emergency response, ENG news broadcasting, perimeter security, pipeline monitoring and power line inspection.
“No matter how long you fly or how much you carry, eventually you have to stop and recharge or refuel. For robotic aircraft, replenishment requires bringing the aircraft and power supply together with precision. That’s not easy. But mastering it means you can fly from anywhere, to anywhere, with a steady chain of supply stations”, said Dr. Paul Pounds, Founding VP of Engineering.
Source: Press Release