Lockheed Martin invests US$2.3M in Newfoundland firm developing wireless power for drones
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Solace Power is working on a technology called Resonant Capacitive Coupling, which uses electric fields to transfer power to the air
MOUNT PEARL, Newfoundland—Lockheed Martin has made a strategic investment in an East Coast company developing a new technology to wirelessly power unmanned aerial vehicles.
Newfoundland’s Solace Power Inc. said this week that it’s received a US$2.3 million contribution from the U.S. aerospace and defence firm.
The funds will go toward accelerating development of Solace’s Resonant Capacitive Coupling technology that takes advantage of electric fields to wirelessly connect drones to a power source.
Though no wires are needed, the technology requires ground-mounted charging stations to transfer power to the air. In contrast to batteries or conventional fuel, Solace’s method allows drones to stay in the air longer while charging autonomously.
The Lockheed investment in Solace is part of the company’s obligation to invest in Canadian companies after winning a major federal contract. Along with Solace, the Canadian government said Lockheed would contribute to Ottawa’s Gastops Ltd., Industrial Internet of Things firm Contextere, and Halifax-based Metamaterial Technologies Inc.
