Quadrotors are great, but what kind of range can you get on them, really? What if you could charge them up just by flying over high voltage power lines, by or temporarily hovering by a charging station? That’s just what [Dr. Carrick Detweiler] composed a paper about! (Caution: PDF)
The paper discusses the method of wireless power transfer by means of magnetic resonance, which, depending on the scale, can transfer power at medium distances (~1 meter). This outperforms inductive coupling which needs a much closer proximity (~1-2 centimeters) for power to transfer. It does still require a certain amount of accuracy, but as all of us know, quadrotors have no problem with even the most complex aerodynamic feats!
There is an exceptional demonstration video of a small scale wireless quadrotor prototype after the break.
Curious about wireless power transfer? We also covered a terrific post about the theory behind evanescent wave coupling a few years ago!
[Via Hizook]