ChinaThe CoulombFly drone is lighter than an A4 sheet of paper, has a wingspan of about 20 cm and can fly for long periods of time.
A team of scientists at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics successfully developed CoulombFly, the world’s smallest and lightest solar-powered flying vehicle, Interesting Engineering July 18 news. New research published in the journal Nature.
CoulombFly weighs just 4 grams, lighter than an A4 sheet of paper with a wingspan of about 20 cm, about the size of a hand, 10 times smaller and 600 times lighter than the smallest solar drone before. The new drone uses solar cells to generate electricity, creating an electric field between oppositely charged plates arranged in a circle. The opposite charges act as repulsive magnets, creating a force that rotates the propeller. This process creates torque, lifting the drone off the ground.
CoulombFly has enhanced efficiency, reaching 30.7 grams per watt and consuming only 0.568 watts to fly in the air. This allows it to fly continuously under natural sunlight.
Limited flight time is a major challenge for micro-aircraft, especially those weighing less than 10 grams. They typically have a flight time of no more than 10 minutes. However, CoulombFly has overcome this problem. The team says that each component is designed to balance efficiency and light weight, allowing the drone to perform long-duration remote monitoring missions.
In a test flight, ColumbFly took off within 1 second of its solar cells being exposed to light. It can now fly untethered for an hour at an altitude of 15 cm, carrying 2 grams of sensors or a small controller. While these results may sound modest, the team believes that future design improvements will increase the drone’s endurance and carrying capacity.
Scientists have proposed several improvements, including increasing the torque of the motor, increasing the lift of the propeller, integrating solar cells into structural components, and increasing the efficiency of the voltage converter. This tiny drone could serve in disaster relief, patrolling in confined spaces, and gathering information.