While not directly related to distance, the primary factor affecting efficiency is whether the receiver collects all of the transmitted light, or if some of the light “leaks” past the receiver. This is determined by the design of the transmitting optics and the size of the receiver. There may be reasons other than efficiency that also drive the size of the transmitter and receiver.

Assuming that the receiver is large enough to capture any light that makes it that far, the remaining factor is absorption and scattering by the atmosphere. Power transferred from point to point near the ground can suffer significant energy losses due to turbulence and dust. We can reduce that effect by elevating the transmitter and receiver so that the beam remains a reasonable distance, perhaps 100 feet, above ground level.

Power beamed near vertical suffers comparatively little energy loss because it quickly gets away from the ground effects. Scattering will depend on atmospheric conditions (e.g., dust, clouds). Absorption in the wavelengths we use is small. We can design for any range from millimeters to many kilometers, and we are working on system designs to beam power from the Earth’s surface to satellites and the lunar surface — it is possible to transmit power at reasonable efficiency over hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometers under the right conditions.

LaserMotive, an independent R&D company specializing in laser power
beaming and the only successful entrant and winner of the NASA-sponsored
Power Beaming Challenge, marks its five-year anniversary this month as a
leading pioneer in the emerging field of laser power beaming. During this
time, the company has set a variety of firsts in the advancement of
wireless power, including setting more than half a dozen world records
for laser-powered flight — the most by any public or private
organization.

LaserMotive has developed a wireless power system to transfer energy over
long distances using laser light, creating an endless source of power for
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), one of the largest growth sectors in the
aerospace and defense industries. LaserMotive has used the technology to
set its world records for laser powered flight, including the longest
duration of any type of beamed-energy flight.

Among the company’s technology achievements are:

– Only team to meet the challenge of the NASA-sponsored Power Beaming
Competition, more than doubling the minimum speed requirement
(November 2009)
– Blueprint for creating the first endless power system for unmanned
aerial vehicles. (April 2010)
– World’s record for longest tethered flight (August 2010)
– The longest beamed-energy powered flight on record at 12 hours, 26
minutes and 56.9 seconds (October 2010)
– Longest hovering flight duration for an untethered electric vehicle:
Limited only by the venue; the Ascending Technologies Pelican
quadrocopter and the LaserMotive power system were both capable of
continuing indefinitely (October 2010)
– Endurance record for any VTOL aircraft in its weight class (October
2010)

Among LaserMotive’s corporate achievements during this time are:

– NASA 2009 Power Beaming Challenge – Level 1 winner, receiving a prize
of nearly $1 million (November 2009)
– Honored by NASA for its achievements in laser power beaming in
Washington DC ceremony (February 2010)
– Finalist in the Northwest Entrepreneur Network’s First Look Forum
(October 2010)
– LaserMotive Co-Founders Named Among 2010 Top Innovators of the Year by
Seattle Business Magazine (October 2010)
– Only private entity invited to have a display booth at NASA Day on the
Hill (June 2011)
– Selected as a Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solution by the Clean
Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) in
conjunction with DoD (August 2011)
– Received investment by Space Angels Network, a national network of
seed- and early-stage investors focused on aerospace-related ventures
(September 2011)
– Contract to work on NASA “Ride The Light” game changing space
technology project for future missions (October 2011)

About LaserMotive

Headquartered in Kent, Wash., LaserMotive is a privately-held R&D company
specializing in wireless power via laser beam for commercial
applications. The company was co-founded in 2007 by Dr. Jordin Kare, one
of the world’s foremost experts on laser propulsion, and Tom Nugent,
former Research Director for LiftPort Group. Its industry partners
include some of the leading companies in aerospace and lasers, including
The Boeing Company, DILAS, MS Kennedy, Ophir Spiricon, Zaber
Technologies, and In-Tec. For more information on LaserMotive, please
visit the company website at www.lasermotive.com.

For more information please contact:

Belinda Young
BYPR
Telephone: 206-932-3145
byoung@bypr.com

Tom Nugent
LaserMotive
info@lasermotive.com

LaserMotive, an independent R&D company specializing in laser power beaming and winner of the 2009 NASA sponsored Power Beaming Competition, today announced it is one of the companies named to work on the new NASA “Ride the Light” project, one of the space organization’s new space technology projects in the Game Changing Technology division to pursue revolutionary technology required for future missions.

“The technologies pursued in this effort have the potential to revolutionize both space launch and on orbit operations, we are happy to be working with LaserMotive and all of our partners to make power beaming a reality,” said Charles Taylor of NASA.

Ride the Light will use beamed power and propulsion produced by commercially available power sources such as lasers and microwave energy to attempt to develop a low-cost, modular power beaming capability and explore multiple technologies to function as receiving elements of the beamed power. LaserMotive already has experience in developing its own laser power beaming system, based on technology LaserMotive developed for its winning entry in the 2009 NASA Power Beaming Challenge, that it has used to set world records for laser powered helicopter flight, first in August 2010 at the AUVSI Conference in Denver, Colo., and again in October 2010 at the Future of Flight in Mukilteo, Wash.

“We’re pleased to be a part of this ground breaking project by NASA,” said Tom Nugent, president and co-founder of LaserMotive. “LaserMotive believes that laser power beaming not only has the ability to provide an endless fuel supply to air and space craft, but it also has the potential to extend their abilities, improve their endurance and enable new missions. Being invited to be a part of the Ride the Light project is a validation of our company’s vision.”

Following the Phase One studies, NASA expects to make an implementation decision in 2012.

Headquartered in Kent, Wash., LaserMotive is a privately-held R&D company specializing in laser power beaming for commercial applications. The company was co-founded in 2006 by Dr. Jordin Kare, one of the foremost experts on laser propulsion, and Tom Nugent, former Research Director for LiftPort Group. Its industry partners include some of the leading companies in aerospace and lasers, including The Boeing Company, DILAS, MS Kennedy, Ophir Spiricon, Zaber Technologies, and In-Tec. For more information, including a white paper on LaserMotive’s UAV strategy, please visit the company website at www.lasermotive.com .

CTSI issued a press release (the full PDF is on our site: CTSI Announces Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solutions), which begins:

The Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) recognizes the 2011 Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solutions. From over 220 global applicants spanning the energy spectrum, the organizations with the most promising military-related technologies were selected to present to panel of officials including the U.S. Army, U.S Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

We are looking forward to presenting at APCE!

LaserMotive, an independent R&D company specializing in laser power beaming and winner of the 2009 NASA-sponsored Power Beaming Challenge, will be showcasing examples of its wireless power system for unmanned aerial vehicles, including models of electric helicopters and aircraft, here at the SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing Exhibition April 26-29 in Orlando, Florida, booth 3700.

The LaserMotive technology uses laser power beaming – the wireless transfer of energy over long distances using laser light – to create an endless source of power to aircraft. The LaserMotive laser power beaming system is based on technology the company developed for its winning entry in the 2009 Power Beaming Challenge for a purse prize of nearly $1 million, marking the first time any team ever won the Challenge.

Among the technologies on display are:
- A fully-functioning demonstration of a laser powered micro-helicopter. The demonstration is eye-safe and has been designed to fit inside LaserMotive’s booth at the Exhibition. The tethered demonstration model uses technology LaserMotive developed for the longest duration tethered laser-powered helicopter flight on record, set last August at the AUVSI Conference. At that time, the demonstration model successfully flew up to six hours continuously each day of the four-day conference.

- A simulation of a ground-based laser transmitter and multiple aircraft with laser receivers , including the record breaking laser-powered free-flying quadrocopter. That flight took place in October 2010 at the Future of Flight Aviation Center, where the unmanned quadrocopter flew continuous for more than 12 hours powered solely by lasers.

The technologies on display are part of the company’s long-term strategy to develop a full-scale laser power system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to industry research firm the Teal Group, UAVs are one of the largest growth sectors in the aerospace and defense industries with an expected growth rate worldwide to $11.5 billion annually by 2020.

In addition to the display, LaserMotive President Tom Nugent will present a paper titled #8045-40, with the title “Laser power beaming for defense and security applications.” This paper will overview wireless power via laser for unmanned aerial vehicles, remote sensors, and forward operating bases.

“We’re pleased to be able to demonstrate our technology at SPIE, which is one of the industry’s leading meeting places for scientists and engineers from industry, military, government agencies, and academia throughout the world,” said Tom Nugent, president and co-founder of LaserMotive. “Not only does our technology enable electric aircraft to be recharged in flight, but it also has the potential to extend their abilities, improve their endurance and enable new missions. It is especially viable for high-altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial vehicles and other types of aircraft that need power over a long period of time.”

Headquartered in Kent, Wash., LaserMotive is a privately-held R&D company specializing in laser power beaming for commercial applications. The company was co-founded in 2006 by Dr. Jordin Kare, one of the foremost experts on laser propulsion, and Tom Nugent, former Research Director for LiftPort Group. Its industry partners include some of the leading companies in aerospace and lasers, including The Boeing Company, DILAS, MS Kennedy, Ophir Spiricon, Zaber Technologies, and In-Tec. For more information, including a white paper on LaserMotive’s UAV strategy, please visit the company website at www.lasermotive.com.

In addition, we attended the AUVSI Program Review Air Day. We made some good contacts and learned quite a bit as well. LaserMotive also presented to a group at the Pentagon, as well as presented to a defense venture capital group that was were very interested. During all this, we continue work on our entry for the next Power Beaming Competition to be held later this year. Although the dates are still tentative, we expect that this should take place in the second or third quarter of this year.  We’ll share more details as we learn them.

We continue to focus on laying the groundwork for our next level of growth in the upcoming weeks.  All in all, we’ve taken significant steps and made significant contacts in this direction in the past weeks that we believe will come to fruition in upcoming weeks and months.