Linden Photonics Elevates Drone Performance with Tethered Cables
Linden Photonics, a leader in the design and production of cutting-edge fiber optic and hybrid electro-optical cables, is at the forefront of enhancing drone capabilities. Their focus is on lightweight, high-strength solutions tailored for rigorous environments, including underwater operations, space, and defense.
With their innovative drone tether cables, Linden enables drones to achieve prolonged flight durations, supplying continuous power while ensuring secure communication links.
The company’s clientele spans military, commercial, and industrial sectors, addressing various needs such as surveillance, communication, and inspection missions.
Tackling Drone Operation Challenges
Linden’s tether cables effectively respond to a significant limitation within drone operations: battery life constraints. Conventional drones are dependent on batteries, which limit flying time. However, tethered drones equipped with Linden’s hybrid cables can stay airborne indefinitely, making them perfect for applications requiring extended functionality.
These tethers link drones to ground stations, delivering power through lightweight conductors and facilitating high-speed, interference-free data transfer via fiber optics. This technology is especially advantageous in military, border security, and surveillance operations, where secure and continuous operation is paramount.
Industries Benefiting from Tethered Drones
Various industries benefit from tethered drones over traditional battery-operated models, including:
- Public Safety & Law Enforcement: Enhanced aerial monitoring for crowd control and emergency situations.
- Military & Defense: Long-lasting capabilities for intelligence, reconnaissance, and communication operations.
- Border Security: Continuous surveillance along national borders.
- Telecommunications: Temporary airborne communication sites in hard-to-reach areas.
- Broadcasting & Events: Live aerial coverage during sports events, concerts, and other significant gatherings.
- Industrial Inspections: Ongoing oversight of pipelines, power lines, and wind farms.
These sectors rely heavily on drones for real-time data transmission and sustained aerial presence, both of which are made possible by Linden’s tether cables.
Innovative Applications
One notable implementation of Linden’s hybrid tether technology is that of Airborne Industries’ aerostat, which is utilized in DARPA’s TALONS Program and by Sandia National Labs for extensive aerial surveillance and communication gathering.
Customization of Tether Solutions
Linden Photonics offers a wide range of cable customization options, including:
- Weight Optimization: Using lightweight materials that lower lift requirements, thereby increasing payload capacity.
- Strength & Durability: Implementation of reinforced Kevlar or synthetic materials to enhance the tether’s reliability under extreme conditions.
- Power Efficiency: Tailoring conductor sizes to reduce voltage drop and ensure optimal power transfer.
- Jacketing Options: Providing protection through extruded or braided jackets to withstand abrasion, moisture, and mechanical stress.
Success Stories
Zenith Aerospace successfully utilized a Linden tether to operate a quadcopter continuously for 100 hours for fire detection purposes, allowing for expansive aerial surveillance. Another client employed a Linden Aerostat tether, sustaining operations for six months in a harsh desert climate. While Linden currently focuses on fiber optic and hybrid cables, they are also developing additional tether management systems set to launch later this year.
Learn more about Linden Photonics and their innovative solutions at their website.
