A drone was recently developed at STERG as part of a master’s project to explore the possibility of cleaning heliostats using a drone based high-pressure washer setup. The drone was designed with a heavy lifting capacity and will later be fitted with a spray lance connected via hose to a ground-based pressure washer system. This setup will allow the drone to spray-clean heliostat mirrors while airborne, potentially offering a more flexible approach to heliostat maintenance.

The drone was built by Zander Bisschoff, a master’s student at STERG, and Manie du Toit, a PhD student also working on drone-related research. The project was supported by local drone company Flying Robot, that helped with parts procurement, provided access to their workshop, and offered advice during the build.

While the initial focus is on heliostat cleaning, the drone was designed as a general-purpose heavy-lift platform and will also be used in other research projects involving drones and aerial lifting.

To watch a video of Zander flying the drone click here.

Credit: Zander Bisschoff