Wind turbine towers are not the only source of wind-generated electricity, according to Netherlands-based Ampyx Power. The company is pursuing the lofty goal of developing fleets of tethered drones to harness high-altitude winds and power ground-based generators.

This power production approach could yield more energy than a conventional wind turbine but would only need Prototype drone in flight. Source: Ampyx Power10% of the material to build. The drones could be phased into an existing wind power system by replacing older towers as they go offline.

The drones are envisioned to function as wind resource-exploiting kites above 200 m and turn generator-connected winches to produce electricity. The company is collaborating with U.K. tracking specialist OmniSense to develop a robust backup local positioning system. Ultra-wideband positioning techniques will be applied to provide 10 cm of relative positioning accuracy, updating every hundredth of a second 100 Hz with an operating range up to 1 km.

Such precision is a requirement to enable return of the autonomous flyers as needed for inspection and maintenance. Landing areas are expected to be very small platforms that could be installed offshore or in rugged terrain.