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Comment by LVB | Hacker News Reader

This feature film about Makani (another kite project) was extremely well done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd_hEja6bzE

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notice this is a vastly different project though: it's not a high-flying kite with complex steering logic; it's a small wind wheel that transmits torque to the ground. If this things crashes to the ground there is basically no expensive damage.

Wouldn't the potential for damage at least correlate to some extent with the potential for energy that can be harvested?

Even hobbyist kites can become quite scary when the wind gets stronger. I don't want to be hit on the head by a kite turbine in strong winds.

I was referring to the cost of the equipment getting destroyed by crashing: makani's (and others) kites are pretty expensive and crashing one is a Big Deal, it does not seem the same in this design.

Potential for damage and energy are probably correlated, in the sense that this design seems to attempt to harvest low-altitude winds (30m), while makani and others wanted to get the high-altitude stronger and more constant ones.

This design does not have an heavy high flying turbine, it has a small lightweight one, and they plan to have multiple tethering ropes so I think the risk you face is in fact in the same ballpark as a hobbyist kite.

IANA wind-electricity-physics person tho, so take everything I say with a large grain of salt.

this looks to be made from only soft parts though. Worst case you get snipped by a tensed string (could still do damage)

The soft parts on hobby kites get quite hard when they are strained by the wind, though. As I said - it should depend on the energy they can harvest - the same energy can also force them into the ground, or onto your head.

Almost too well done. It feels like advertising...

Or a resume. The project was cancelled

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