The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) on Tuesday established an academia-industry alliance with the aim of promoting the development of a long-range drone industry after the institute created hydrogen fuel cell-powered drones that can remain in the air longer.
The ITRI has manufactured hydrogen fuel cells for drones that are not only pollution-free, but also facilitate flight times that are three times longer than drones powered by lithium-ion battery cells, said Lee Tzong-ming (李宗銘), general-director of the institute’s Material and Chemical Research Laboratories.
The use of uncrewed aerial vehicles has surged rapidly, making them popular instruments for a wide range of applications, but harnessing drone technology faces the challenges of expanding battery life and load carrying capacity, he said.
Photo courtesy of the Tainan City Government via CNA
To develop enabling technologies to enhance the competitiveness of the local drone industry and better tap into market opportunities, the ITRI-initiated alliance brings together 10 academic institutions and industries focused on the development of a drone industry supply chain, Lee said in a news release.
The alliance consists of Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corp, hiPower GreenTech and other partners focused on areas ranging from fuel cell materials, systems integration, data communication and drone applications, Lee said.
The ITRI-developed hydrogen fuel cells can keep a 10kg bicopter drone airborne for 126 minutes, a 5kg multicopter drone for 130 minutes and a 10kg helicopter drone for 74.5 minutes, enabling a wide range of applications, including inspection services, commercial delivery or the delivery of medical supplies.
The ITRI has completed a series of field tests — over an accumulated distance of 300km — that have verified the safety and reliability of the drones, including a flight across the sea from Beimen District (北門) in Tainan to Dongji Islet in Penghu County, and a flight carrying critical supplies to Xinda Cabin, a campsite in Hsinchu at an altitude of about 3,200m, Lee said.
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