To my surprise, when I read the article, I found out that Google has recently acquired this company, Makani Power, whose goal is "to make wind energy cost competitive with fossil fuels". Hmm... the Makani drones are essentially flying windmills. After more in depth reading and googling, I find this subject of flying windmills very fascinating. Maybe, it is because of the unforgettable anime movie by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli called Laputa The Castle in the Sky.
Turns out that this is not such a new idea. There have been many research and prototypes built over the years by individuals, corporations and research institutes in search for that elusive source of new and clean energy source. Anyway, here are some videos that I managed to compile for those who are also interested to see how flying windmills works.
Simply amazing what these people are doing!!!
I wonder if there are tinkerers or makers here in Malaysia that will take up the challenge. Here is an idea that will be useful for fishermen or anyone that needs a power source while at sea.
I will donate MYR 200 for anyone here in Malaysia who wants to build a flying windmill prototype (flying is optional) to power lights on the fishing boats. In case you are not aware, small scale fishermen need lights to attract fishes at night... LOL. Also, in this case, the sea environment maybe just right to tab into wind power.
Of course, there are many uses and applications for this type of renewal energy source on a grand scale. But I am more interested on how it can be used and applied to everyday people's lives; the kampung or farming/fishing village folks, especially when it can be cheap or free!
Cheers!!
Resources:
- Makani Power - http://www.makanipower.com
- Vice Motherboard - http://motherboard.vice.com/en_us
No comments:
Post a Comment