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LaserMotive is a Seattle-based team competing for $2,000,000 in prize money at this year’s annual NASA-sponsored Power Beaming competition, part of the Elevator:2010 Space Elevator Games. Teams entering the Power Beaming Challenge must power a vehicle more than 1 kilometer (nearly 3,300 feet) straight up a ribbon using only energy beamed to the vehicle from the ground.

LaserMotive was created in a belief in the utility of laser power beaming for a variety of applications, both near-term and further in the future, in space and on Earth. Recent advances in the power and cost of commercial lasers is bringing many exciting applications within the reach of economic and technical viability, from powering unmanned aerial vehicles to launching rockets via laser power to beaming limitless solar energy from space to the Earth. The Power Beaming Challenge is an excellent first step along the path to demonstrating the physical and economic viability of laser power beaming.

LaserMotive is a team with literally decades of experience in each of the key areas of expertise needed to win the competition. We believe our team, comprising world-class laser power beaming experts, experienced machinists, electrical engineers, systems engineers, programmers, and experts from our industry partners, is by far the most experienced of all entrants to date.

To win the Power Beaming competition, the LaserMotive system uses a high-power laser array to shine ultra-intense infrared light onto high-efficiency solar cells, converting the light into electric power which then drives a motor. Our system will track the vehicle as it climbs, compensating for motion due to wind and other changes. Building on our experience from last year’s competition, we are designing an improved system able to capture the full $2,000,000 prize.

News and progress updates are available in our blog.

We are deeply appreciative of all our our sponsors for their generous support.

If you are interested in directly supporting our work on power beaming, please consider a donation:

Or, if you are interested in a sponsorship deal with LaserMotive, please contact us at sponsors@lasermotive.com. We have multiple levels of sponsorship available.