College Park, MD – This past year has seen other triumphs for the solar industry. A solar-powered plane circumnavigated the world, and aEngineers, scientists and other visionaries have achieved many technological milestones so far this year, notably within the autonomous car industry. Significant advances have also been made in the solar energy field, which remains wide open as prices in that industry drop. Indeed, since 2011, the price of solar panels has dropped 60%, making it a viable option for many homeowners.
A solar-powered boat is on its way to the same goal. Last month, a team of undergraduates at the University of Maryland developed the first solar-powered helicopter.
The team equipped the four-rotor helicopter with a variety of solar panels, and it took off for a total of nine seconds, lifting to about a foot above the ground. That’s pretty good for a first try, especially when you consider that the Wright Brother’s first flight lasted only 12 seconds.
The team started with manpower, and achieved a record for the longest flight in a human-powered helicopter. This year, however, they turned to the possibility of using solar power.
“This project has come a long way in the past six or seven years from human-power to solar-power,” said Ph.D. candidate William Staruk. “So we are breaking barriers of all sorts in aviation with this one airframe, and we are very proud of that work here at the University of Maryland.”
The implications of this project are positive, but the purpose of their project was ultimately to give engineering students hands-on experience. Inderjit Chopra, a faculty advisor to the project said, “This is about inspiring and educating students, that’s our product here. No one thought that solar energy could lift a person [via helicopter].”.