In June, Reach had the privilege of participating in our first Technical Experimentation (TE) event with the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). TE events provide a unique opportunity for companies and organizations to showcase their technologies to USSOCOM, while gaining insights and perspectives directly from Special Operations Forces (SOF) operators in a collaborative setting. We were honored to be one of 61 companies selected for this event focused on Human Machine Teaming.
Pioneering Human and Machine Teaming
The TE event was focused on autonomous systems, including unmanned aerial systems (UAS), unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), and technologies that enhance communication in contested environments. Over three intensive days in Red Springs, North Carolina, the Reach team showcased two groundbreaking wireless power experiments.
Our first demonstration featured a wirelessly powered small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS). Equipped with a Reach wireless power receiver, the drone maintained continuous flight for over four hours, powered by a Reach transmitter that beamed radio frequency (RF) energy to the aircraft. The second experiment involved recharging an unattended ground sensor (UGS) using a Reach wireless power transmitter, demonstrating how our technology can sustain operations in challenging environments.
Revolutionizing Drone Persistence with Wireless Power
Typically, drones have an average flight time of about 28 minutes due to battery limitations, necessitating frequent recharges and causing mission interruptions.
Reach’s wirelessly powered drones, however, offer transformative advantages:
- Extended Missions and Rapid Response: Deployed from an “at altitude” position, these drones speed up response times and extend mission durations.
- Enhanced Operational Flexibility: They combine persistent static overwatch (virtual tether) with the ability to quickly transition to dynamic ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) operations.
- Adaptable Communication Networks: They provide instant, flexible drone-based radio networks without tether limitations.
- Counter-UAS and Border Protection: They enable “drone walls” for effective counter-UAS and border protection.
Sustaining UGS Operations with Wireless Power
Unattended or concealed sensors are often deployed in hard-to-reach locations, where battery replacement is not only difficult but can also compromise the mission by revealing the sensor’s location. Wireless power addresses this challenge by:
- Reducing Battery Changes: Significantly decreasing the frequency of battery replacements.
- Minimizing Manpower: Lessening the manual labor and cognitive load associated with battery management.
- Mitigating Sensor Failure: Reducing the risk of sensor downtime due to power depletion.
- Enabling Clandestine Charging: Lowering the risk of exposing sensors to adversaries during maintenance.
This innovation ensures that sensors in remote, hostile, or inaccessible areas can operate securely, reliably, and efficiently.
Harnessing the Power of Integration
Reach also demonstrated its integration with Red Cat Holdings’ Teal 2 Group 1 Blue UAS, which is a wireless power receiving antenna (or rectenna). The rectenna accepts RF wireless energy and converts it to usable power, ensuring the Teal 2 can maintain persistent flight.
As a founding member of the Red Cat Futures Initiative, Reach is a part of an independent, industry-wide consortium of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) partners dedicated to equipping warfighters with the most advanced and interoperable uncrewed aircraft systems.
Insights and Future Development
Throughout the TE event, various SOCOM groups engaged with Reach’s technology, providing valuable assessments of its functionality and applicability within SOCOM’s operational landscape.
Reach received eight assessments from various DoD groups and allied partners, making us one of the most evaluated companies at the event.
The feedback from TE has been instrumental in helping us identify opportunities and challenges as we work to align our technology with SOF’s evolving needs. We are excited to build on these insights as we continue to innovate and refine our solutions, and we eagerly anticipate future opportunities to collaborate with SOCOM at upcoming TE events.
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