Makani

Makani was a ground breaking kite-energy system and a leader in the development of airborne wind power extraction systems. Founded in 2006, Makani was acquired by Google in May 2013. Makani tested it’s kite at METCentre in 2019 to demonstrate its offshore flight capability. The demonstration was completed with two flights from the floating platform.

For this demonstration at METCENTRE in Norway, the airframe was transported on a flatbed trailer, used a commonly available mobile boom crane to lift the kite onto its perch, and in one smooth operation using two coastal tug boats we installed the kite and spar offshore at a water depth of 220m.

The first quick flight included launch, hover away from the perch, and an autonomous landing. The second, longer-duration test, demonstrated robust crosswind flight. The kite flew beautifully, accurately following commands from the flight controller, and affirming that its motion and that of the floating platform matched our pre-test simulations. In preparation for landing, the kite smoothly transitioned out of crosswind into a stable hover.

In February 2020, Makani was shut down by Alphabet, Google’s parent company.

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