Air Force developing UAVs that can recharge on power lines

We've seen some interesting solutions to keeping UAVs powered for extended missions, but none so diabolical as actually landing on the enemy's power lines and using their juice to power up. That's the plan behind the Power Line Urban Sentry (PLUS) project currently being run by the Air Force Research Laboratory and private firm Defense Research Associates, and it's already yielded UAVs that can land on power lines and charge in three hours. The project started with attempts to charge by simply flying near power lines, but when that method yielded only micro-watts of juice, focus shifted to actually landing on the lines. The team is planning all sorts of other capabilities for the tech, including navigation systems -- "Power lines are like highways in the sky," says one of the researchers -- and auxiliary surveillance systems that power up when jacked in. On top of all that awesomeness, the team is also working with an outfit called the Center for Morphing Control to disguise the UAVs when they sit on the lines -- so far, they say, they've made a small UAV "look like a Coke can." Test flights are scheduled for 2008, and there's still work to be done on the power line latching mechanism, but whatever -- we want one.

[Thanks, Stuart T., original photo by Bob Fornal]

[Criggie @ Mar 11th 2008 6:37PM]

1986 called - they want their video game back.

Starglider!

ObLinks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starglider

http://free-game-downloads.mosw.com/abandonware/pc/arcade_action/games_sr_st/star_glider.html

[Matthew Hilario @ Dec 14th 2007 4:41PM]

they've made a small UAV "look like a Coke can."

they should've made it look like a pidgeon and provide it the ability to poop on enemies as well.

[Carbonize @ Dec 14th 2007 4:41PM]

And a Coke can sat on, or hanging from, a power line is not going to look weird at all. In fact anything sitting on a power line that's not either a bird or fried to a crisp will look weird.

[Panq @ Dec 14th 2007 5:07PM]

How about a pair of shoes? I've seen it dozens of times...

[Carbonize @ Dec 14th 2007 5:09PM]

Hmmm a pair of training shoes. They could get a big name like Nike or Adidas to sponsor them. This UAV brought to you by ......

[Irfan @ Dec 14th 2007 5:37PM]

i found shows on a power line and tried to give them to my girlfriend for work. she yelled at me and told me she couldn't wear them because they would scuff up the dance floor. I put them back on the wire to await a girl with less discriminating taste.

[Irfan @ Dec 14th 2007 5:38PM]

shows = shoes, damnit.

[Spyvie @ Dec 14th 2007 7:59PM]

I saw something cool in downtown Vegas a few years ago...

On a power line right outside of one of the sleazy casino just off Fremont st., I spotted a pair of Chuck Taylors high tops hanging by the laces over the wire, no big deal, we've all seen that. But closer inspection revealed them to be plywood cut outs shaped and painted like shoes.

Guerrilla art I guess

[Max @ Dec 16th 2007 1:16PM]

In the UK, drug dealers throw trainers over wires to mark their territory. Not sure if its the same in the US

[makishima @ Dec 14th 2007 4:48PM]

Thats no Coke can.......it's a space station!

[r3loaded @ Dec 14th 2007 4:57PM]

That really is the definition of taking the biscuit...and the juice

[tastybytes @ Dec 14th 2007 5:01PM]

hello... make a mechanical owl, a la Clash of the Titans.. it can land on the power line and not be noticed (do not make the owl gold, of course)

[Matt @ Dec 14th 2007 5:03PM]

Anyone else a bit concerned that there's a Centre for Morphing Control?

[Matthew Hilario @ Dec 14th 2007 5:06PM]

It's currently being led by Zordon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zordon

[BeenThere2 @ Dec 14th 2007 5:18PM]

Looks like the web page for The Center for Morphing Control is no longer working. Here's a link to the cached page:

http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:FqsB4lISHxcJ:mav.mae.ufl.edu/morph/+Center+for+Morphing+Control&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

The Center for Morphing Control is a research collaboration among faculty at the University of Florida. The Center provides a common foundation to bring together researchers with expertise from several disciplines. The initial team includes investigators from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The funding for the research comes from a variety of organizations and covers a broad range of applications.

The mission of the Center is to investigate issues related to control of a morphing system. Specifically, the Center studies the dynamical effects related to morphing.

• modeling the time-varying dynamics during morphing
• designing nonlinear controllers to utilize morphing
• constructing experimental testbeds to demonstrate morphing

[Morgan Percy @ Dec 14th 2007 5:29PM]

Sounds like they have been watching Transformers a bit too much.

[WorldCTZen @ Dec 14th 2007 5:32PM]

And ya'll thought the Mountain Dew Decepticon was a joke! It was a cleverly placed DoD probe dropped on the filming set to survey the competition. Turns out more green-screen actors preferred Lattes to Mountain Dew...

[jk @ Dec 14th 2007 5:44PM]

Seems a little self-defeating considering US forces tend to knock off power plants fairly early on with any air-strike campaign.

[Will @ Dec 14th 2007 5:59PM]

I would imagine this is for covert UAV operations where there is no support infrastructure behind the lines. Once a campaign has begun, this type of "refueling" wouldn't be necessary.

[Paul Turner @ Dec 14th 2007 5:47PM]

Great! Another way for Skynet to keep its terminator drones in the air. We are all doomed! Doomed!

[debugy2k @ Dec 14th 2007 6:03PM]

Don't they generally use UAVs in the Middle East / Iraq area? (1) Do they even have WORKING power lines over there for the coke can to land on? LOL (2) Do they even sell coke over there? It would look weird to have a coke can flying and landing on a power line when coke is scarce over there. (3) Why are we even paying the government to invent these stupid ass things? Who comes up with this coke can on power line idea anyways? BUSH?

[Ed @ Dec 14th 2007 8:33PM]

LOL. That's got to be it.

Bush sitting in his office, "Uhh yeah, let's make a supar spy autobat that can land on the enemies power lines and juice up and infiltrate their permiters or whatever".

Guy from the military with actual degrees, "Um sir... Cheney was just kidding about that super secret autobot program.. It doesn't exist. Oh, and there are no power lines in Afganistan".

Bush, "Your fired!... and get me a taco"

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Dec 15th 2007 2:52AM]

I am from Middle East … and we don’t have power lines on my country... Instead it’s all underground with communication wires, water and the other entire infrastructure. Were it should be.

[AdamK @ Dec 14th 2007 6:05PM]

The US used to knock off power plants early on, but these days the enemy is not a state so there is no need to attack infrastructure. Combat of late is primarily infocentric.

[F-ZeroOne @ Dec 14th 2007 6:13PM]

Wow. They've invented the AGAV from StarGlider.

[DAvid Relan @ Dec 14th 2007 6:40PM]

Great-now they can come up with a sequel to the "The Gods must be crazy" with a flying coke can.

[Shoeb KHAN @ Dec 15th 2007 11:51AM]

isn't this considered theft? if i were to grab some juice from a power line...i'd have the electric company pressing charges...i guess all is fair in war...its not like they can use the electricity once our 'smart' bombs bless the enemy's lands.

[dmc21962 @ Dec 17th 2007 6:02PM]

This was my initial concern, then i realized it would require a domestic theater, which is even more frightening than an electricity bill

[Spyvie @ Dec 14th 2007 8:03PM]

That's what I was thinking

If something like this were autonomous, disguising itself and leaching power while conducting surveillance, or worse... kinda spooky

[BigD145 @ Dec 14th 2007 8:35PM]

This will work really well on the battlefield. You know, like Iraq. Where we'll be for the next couple decades.

[rv @ Dec 14th 2007 9:07PM]

Enemy UAV is Airborne!

[Boss @ Dec 14th 2007 9:49PM]

sod it just nuke the everyone.

[murray @ Dec 15th 2007 12:19PM]

Oh yeah. A plane landing on high voltage power lines. This can't be a bad idea.

[beth @ Dec 15th 2007 5:23PM]

...."Power lines are like highways in the sky," says one of the researchers -- and auxiliary surveillance systems that power up when jacked in.....

People, you need to understand what has been said here. It's been reported
that power line based surveillance systems have been existing since 1990 by designs of the electric power grid capabilities. This is Big Brother at it's ultimate and although this article references things to come, it's completely entrenched in our society right now. What is being developed is merely more advanced expansion and utilization of a system that already exists. Tech people
should pay close attention to the details.

The covert nature of the surveillance that is in place as well as that which is
being developed should be of concern to all Americans. If one takes the position that all of the technology is going to be used in some distant war against foreign
adversaries, you will find yourself sadly mistaken when it is too late to do anything about the protection of your American constitutional rights in your homeland under peaceful conditions. For all advances in these technologies, we need to have our laws updated to cover domestic use accordingly.

And yes, I am concerned about The Center for Morphing Control as a poster
pointed out.

I also would like to know the arrangement for covering the cost of the use of the private utility electrical power to recharge these surveillance devices. I would
disclosure as to the testing of these devices in the US and whether civilians have been an unwitting part of testing either by being within a civilian location or
if civilians themselves have been the subject of the test. These disclosures are
necessary to insure our continued civil rights under the 4th amendment in light of the advancements of surveillance technologies.

[beth @ Dec 15th 2007 5:42PM]

I looking forward into the further potential for devices which rest on
civilian power lines, it does not take a giant leap to change from a recharging
and surveilling device to a device which instead of taking up power and
obtaining covert information, discharges a blast of, say, electromagnetic or
microwave pulse, and fry the contents of one's location, perhaps including
one's nneurological system.
This type of technology can "morph" from a passive device to a serious weapon rather easily.For this reason, Americans need to continue to monitor the developments of the DOD for compliance with international treaties and conventions as well as keeping our federal and state laws current to cover emerging
technologies.

[beth @ Dec 15th 2007 6:00PM]

Strange, Almed Alzayani's comment does not have reply capability
while all other comments do.

In regard to his comment, it is well taken. The fact that the utility lines are underground and not above ground for the use of the technology under discussion leads one to conclude that its intended use would be for regions where electric
power lines are above ground. That would include regions other than
the middle east where we are currently militarily engaged. That point is obvious,
but fact is that regions where above ground power lines are dominate include many areas of the US.

[Dan @ Jan 20th 2008 12:46PM]

We're looking at smart power leeches in their infancy. In time they'll have no trouble getting power from almost anything with power: street lights, heat sources, coin operated devices, etc. We may also see a responding rise in shotgun sales.

[Beth @ Jan 21st 2008 5:11PM]

Dan, I have already seen people jacking power for street lights, in ground automatic
irrigation systems, cable lines, and more. Electricity hacking/jacking is already going on in the criminal world for people using non-conventional mobile weapons
like mobile garage made things.
And I agree with you about the increased sales in shotguns. In fact, we should be
preparing now for the kind of changes that can be expected in the disorganized
crises that we will encounter up ahead.

[redlukas @ Dec 17th 2007 8:41AM]

it has been done allready, i think. i once read an article about model planes flying near power lines without any batteries at all. but sure, those planes don't carry tonns of surveilance and radio stuff. it has also been tested close to cell phone antennas, but it failed, bacause the massive power output of the antennas melted the soldered points, rendering the plane powerless.

[Jimmy Gambier @ Dec 18th 2007 4:26PM]

How the hell do you land on power lines?!

[Dan @ Jan 20th 2008 1:04PM]

People with brains often use systems that work, and modify them to work again for the chosen purpose. Ever seen a jet land on an aircraft carrier? It uses a hook. Maybe a one-time use spy plane would have some kind of plastic-metal inductance net it would cast and possibly hang from power lines by; would cut away from the net to finish the tasks. Certainly, the US military/FBI/CIA/ETC would never use it on citizens of the US. ;)

[Stelliot @ Dec 17th 2007 5:52AM]

The Dutch army just flew an Apache helicopter into a powerline, putting 100.000 people without power for a few hours. Maybe they were onto this concept before the USAF....doubt it though...

[Kree @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:01AM]

That explanation gave me a very surreal picture of a little robot glider thing moving covertly across a neighbourhood's power lines. It doesn't matter where or who's using them, it would certainly be really weird to see go bye.