The technology is still constrained by the narrow gap between drone and charger; 4 inches away from the charger is better than being plugged into it, but it’s not a ton of space. Still, the team at Imperial College London seems confident in the results, floating concepts for drones that charge over power lines, drones that charge other drones, and even inductive charging stations that can land on Mars to recharge tired robotic rovers. There’s also concept art for a military vehicle that can charge ground robots under a hatch in the back and keep drones powered through a charger on the roof.