Drones have become very important in the war in Ukraine, but they have a big problem: they can be easily stopped by jamming their radio signals. This means the drone can’t talk to its operator and crashes.
A German company called HIGHCAT has created a new drone called HCX that solves this problem. Instead of using radio signals, it uses a thin fiber-optic cable to communicate with the operator. This cable is like a very thin, strong thread that the drone pulls out behind it as it flies.
Why is this important?
- No jamming: The fiber-optic cable can’t be jammed, so the drone can keep flying even in areas with lots of radio interference.
- Better video: The cable can send much clearer video images back to the operator than radio signals.
- More drones: Many drones can fly at the same time without getting in each other’s way.
- The HCX drone is still being tested, but it could be a game-changer in drone warfare. If it works as well as the company hopes, it could make drones much harder to stop.
- Would you like to know more about how the fiber-optic cable works or the challenges the company faced in developing the drone?