Small Unmanned Systems
Fly All Day: Endurance is Everything.
For small, unmanned systems, increased endurance means less risk of damage to the aircraft and the ability to cover more ground. Alta Device’s AnyLight™ power technology gives you as much as 5X more daytime endurance, and at one gram per watt of power, has virtually no impact on aerodynamics.
Learn more about AnyLightTM Technology for Small Solar Drones
Solar Power for Small UAVs/Drones
Fly longer and carry more. That’s what every small UAV (sUAV) consumer wants. As the uses for small, electric, commercial UAVs expand, the demand for the sUAVs to stay aloft longer and carry heavier, more powerful payloads constantly increases.
Technology Performance Brief
Selecting Solar Technology for Fixed Wing UAVs Whitepaper
The Alta Advantage
Unmatched Performance
by holding single and dual junction solar efficiency records at 28.8% and 31.6% respectively, we produce more power per unit area than any other solar material
Lightweight & Flexible
with a mass of only 170 g/m2, and the ability to bend to cover curved surfaces, we are industry leading in our core design
Seamless Integration
into plastic, carbon fiber, fiberglass, or foam molding along with tailored electrical voltage and current output optimized to your power system
What we provide:
- Customized solar layout (design)
- Solar matrix
- Encapsulation
- Testing
- Integration support
What can you provide?
- Drawings of wing layout (CAD and other)
- Battery type
- Electrical specifications
Contact us to discuss your project.
CASE STUDY: AeroVironment Puma AE
ISSUE: AeroVironment’s Puma is a small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) designed to be hand launched. Typically the Puma only has an endurance of 2-3 hours.
SOLUTION: With Alta Devices’ technology, AeroVironment has the ability to increase the Puma flight time by 6-7 hours — to a total of over 9 hours. Now they can ensure all-day surveillance, helping to save lives during extensive search and rescue missions.
CASE STUDY: Naval Research Lab Solar-Soaring UAV
ISSUE: The Naval Research Lab (NRL) was studying new ways to increase UAV endurance for future defense programs.
SOLUTION: Using Alta Devices’ technology, NRL was able to fly their UAV for over 11 hours which set a new record for solar-soaring!
Fully assembled GaAs Wing half (Alta Devices cells)
Alta Devices Excels in Naval Research Lab Solar UAV Shootout
The main limitation currently facing the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) market is the short flight time of these aircraft- that’s where Alta Devices comes in. Alta solar cells offer a way to capture energy while flying without compromising the weight, size, or maneuverability of an aircraft.