The only power source on this unmanned aerial vehicle is a bunch of solar panels. Designed by father and son team Mike and Luke Bell, who hold the Guinness World Record for the fastest quadcopter, it has no batteries, so it can fly only and as long as the sun is shining.
The body of the drone is rather straightforward: a large X-frame of carbon fiber tubing with 18-inch propellors of the same material. It is equipped with lightweight Antigravity motors and a few other necessary components like the flight controller and 3D-printed mounts. It also has a few small cameras that connect to a POV VR headset.
The biggest component is the 27 solar panels, bolted to the drone’s frame via a support structure made of 3mm carbon fiber tubes. The panels generated a total output of about 150 watts during ground tests. It may not be the smallest drone out there, but since it’s 100% solar powered, it could literally fly all day long (if the weather cooperates).
