“LiftPort has finished a 60-day test with a 100-metre-long tether
held aloft by four helium balloons. The test was designed to see what
kinds of problems would crop up if such a platform were used to transmit
Wi-Fi signals. The lofty platforms would be especially useful for providing
Wi-Fi coverage to rural areas, [...]”
—
“Overall, he says, the test went well, but there were several
unexpected encounters with wildlife. More than a dozen insect colonies
had laid eggs on the tether [. I]n the first few days of the test, curious
bats flew around the balloons, apparently attracted by the sound made
by the tether's vibrations. Late in the test, swallows were also seen
swooping down on the balloons, possibly to sip the morning dew on their
surfaces.”
—
“The team learned that if the tether is pulled hard by wind, it
starts to buckle and deform slightly, creating crinkles. The robot climber
hit these crinkles and could not proceed because they made the tether
too thick for it to handle.
“[...] Future designs will have to incorporate sensors to tell
the robot when it is about to encounter varying thicknesses.”
