This Advanced Spy Drone Can Fly Indefinitely

Drones are very good at capturing images or videos from unique perspectives, but they can also play the part of mobile security cameras. The catch is that conventional drones can’t really remain in the air for too long, and even if they do, they need to come down to relay their data every now and then. However, we’ve recently discovered an intriguing little drone that can actually remain in the air indefinitely. Dubbed Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications drone (PARC), it was created by a Boston company named CyPhy Works, whose experts recently launched a commercial version of it. The military has been using the device to monitor several of its compounds for a while, but a $22 million investment allowed CyPhy Works to manufacture a commercial version of PARC.

The drone can ascend up to 500 feet and can remain in the air for as long as you want it to thanks to a special microfilament that can transmit power and data at the same time. Even though it is thinner than a regular headphone cable, this microfilament is surprisingly strong, but in order to make sure that the drone doesn’t fall suddenly in case of a power failure, its creators decided to equip it with an emergency battery. PARC needs to be tethered at all times in order to function, which is why it is not exactly suited for long-range spying missions. However, it can do short-range reconnaissance without too many issues, and it can also function as a long distance communications relay. Pricing and availability were not announced just yet, but we do have a list of specifications that you can check out below.

• Payload Capacity: 6lbs of 0ft DA; 4lbs of 10kft DA
• Max Operating Altitude (AGL): 500 ft
• Max Density Altitude: 10,000 ft
• Wind Continuous/Gust: 25/35 knots
• Payload Power: 35 watts
• Data Rate: 10 Mbps
• Payload Interface: Ethernet
• Operational Temp. Range: 0 to +120 F
• Power Options: 2KW 85-265 VAC, Grid or Generator

Image courtesy of Dronetradr.