Optical Fiber-Tethered UAV Laser Delivery for Portable High Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laser systems are limited by their need for permanent installation or laborious disassembly and reassembly, and portable systems lack sufficient power for diverse applications.
Innovation Solution
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethered with an optical fiber connects to a ground-based laser via an optical tether, enabling stable and portable high-power laser operations through a stabilizer and optical device with collimators and focusing lenses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high-power laser systems are made stationary and permanently installed, then power output and system stability are improved, but portability and ease of deployment deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The laser system is divided into two separate components: a stationary high-power laser source and a mobile optical device mounted on the UAV. The optical fiber tether connects these segments, allowing the heavy laser to remain fixed while the lightweight optical device provides mobility. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different functions to different parts of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
An optical fiber tether acts as an intermediary between the stationary laser source and the mobile optical device. This intermediary transmits laser energy over distance, enabling the high-power laser to power a mobile platform without requiring the laser itself to be mobile. The optical fiber resolves the contradiction by decoupling the power source from the application point.
2Ease of operation
If portable laser systems are made lightweight and mobile, then ease of deployment is improved, but power output deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy power-generating component (laser source) is extracted from the mobile platform and placed on the ground. Only the essential optical components needed for beam delivery are mounted on the UAV, dramatically reducing weight while maintaining access to high power through the optical fiber connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical device on the UAV serves multiple functions: it receives laser energy, directs the beam, and can be repositioned to various locations. This multi-functional design allows a single lightweight platform to replace multiple heavy laser systems, resolving the power-portability contradiction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If laser systems are disassembled and moved to different locations, then adaptability is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static, permanently installed laser to a dynamic configuration where the optical device can be rapidly deployed and repositioned on the UAV. The optical fiber tether provides continuous power delivery during movement, enabling fast deployment without disassembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical process of disassembling and transporting heavy laser equipment is replaced by launching a lightweight UAV that carries the optical device. The optical fiber tether transmits power wirelessly through the air, eliminating the need for mechanical reconfiguration and significantly reducing deployment time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-power, versatile laser applications over a wide area without the need for permanent installations, enhancing portability and operational flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
The optical device is connected to, and optically coupled with, the light source by a tether including at least one optical fiber
Implementation Method 2
the optical device may include at least one collimator and at least one focusing lens for shaping and focusing the received light
Implementation Method 3
at least one focusing lens for shaping and focusing the received light for output to a selected target
Data Source
AI summary
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethered with an optical fiber is an unmanned aerial vehicle, drone or the like carrying an optical device which is tethered to an external light source. The light source may be a ground-based laser. The optical device is connected to, and optically coupled with, the light source by a tether including at least one optical fiber. A stabilizer may be mounted on the optical device for stabilizing orientation and direction thereof. The optical device may include at least one collimator and at least one focusing lens for shaping and focusing the received light for output to a selected target.