Every minute, Some 6,000 rays fall on the mainland. The problem is that it is not only about frequency, but also power Of each of them: a single ray can set down forests, break concrete, cause overtheions that can end in generalized blackouts, melt electrical wiring or burn electronic systems and devices without the possibility of repair.
While the installation of lightningouts in buildings offers some protection, andThe Japanese NTT (acronym for the nippon corporation of telegraphs and telephones) has been working on a better solution for years to protect your communications teams. And his last invention is a unique drone in his class.
NTT claims to have tried it under a royal storm cloud. And, the statement, entitled “First drone in the world that has managed to shoot and guide a ray ”, Tell the story that could be called Dron Zeus.
On December 13, 2024, while a storm approached a mountainous area of Shimane’s Japanese prefecture, the drone developed by NTT flew at an altitude of 300 meters, carrying a driver cable. This cable connected the drone to a switch on the ground and, when acting, caused an over -the power over the cable, connecting the ground drone. As a result, this supposedly increased the intensity of the surrounding electric field, causing and attracting lightning.
According to the NTT group, the drone survived the ray and continued to fly, although its protective cover melted a bit. This It is not the first time that scientists use something different from a lightning rod to provoke and attract a ray from heaven. Recently, other scientists discovered that they could move away the rays of critical infrastructure if they fired lasers to heaven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvr9er_kdo0
This laser “lure” It was first proposed in 1974and decades of laboratory work and several failed attempts with real rays were needed to achieve its operation.
However, unlike a laser, a drone that attracts rays must be protected from the electrical damage it absorbs. To solve this problem, the NTT group locked Your device in a Faraday metal cagethat guides electricity around the device, reducing electromagnetic interference.
In laboratory tests, drone was largely protected by this cage, even when NTT scientists They threw an artificial ray five times more powerful than the natural.
“NTT seeks to protect cities and people from damages caused By rays via flying drones, designñattached to resist the CAYoDIRECT RAYS, TO predict preciseeithern Ray -prone locations, actively trigger them and safely move them away”Says the statement.
While countries in the tropics are the ones that experience the most thunderstorms, recent studies suggest that Contamination and climate change could also increase the risk of ray damage in the coming years.
New technologies to reduce the damage of thunderstorms are more than welcome; However, the NTT group goes one step further and claims to be looking for ways to take advantage of the energy of the rays, directed to the ground by their drones. It looks like a great idea, but For now it is completely theoretical. The batteries to capture such large amounts of energy and slowly release them in our current energy systems still do not exist. Previously, some scientists have described the concept of collecting energy from “useless” rays.
It remains to be seen if the new NTT group ads on drones resist scientific scrutiny.In fact, the statements have not been reviewed by pairs, but if the drone manages to do what the Japanese company states, Technology could, in theory, protect cities and infrastructure from damage caused For rays worldwide. And, thanks to your cables, feed, for example, electric cars.