Project Iliad
Lower Cost per kg/km Than Fixed-Wing UAVs
A reusable, propulsion-free balloon delivery system designed for simple, affordable, and environmentally friendly payload transport.
The Concept
A new approach to last-mile payload delivery
We're working on a computer model that reliably predicts the trajectory of a balloon in the atmosphere for at least a few hundred kilometres.
We are concurrently developing a payload-delivery system around this balloon, followed by a ground-based automatic deployment system.
The product enables last-mile delivery without propulsion, making balloon transport environmentally friendly. The balloon vehicle itself is simple, affordable, and reusable.
The mechanism does not require an internet connection or complex computer logic during flight. The calculations are completed on the ground before launch.
Payload take-off and landing do not require an airstrip and can be carried out in confined spaces.
The altitude at which the balloon flies can be determined by the amount of gas with which it is filled. Flight at high altitude and a low cross-section makes the vehicle hard to see and neutralise.
Mylar- and ceramic-based laser-resistant coatings are being trialled to make the package invulnerable to 300 kW-class lasers at altitude.
