by Keith Berkoben, Kenny Cheung, Jie Qi

World events of the past year have impressed the critical importance of networked communication. Simple social networks such as those found on Facebook and Twitter have enabled popular revolutions in the middle east while network-enabled data gathering has been instrumental in assessing needs after disasters in Haiti, Pakistan and now Japan. Despite the importance of data networks, their construction makes them susceptible to damage by natural disasters and sabotage by oppressive governments.

In this networked world, communications infrastructure should be as disaster ready and rapid-deploy capable as blankets or bags of rice. FabFli is an airborne communications platform that enables groups of individuals to deploy networks on moments notice. FabFli is a collection of aerial vehicles — kites, dirigibles, powered flying machines — with long-range wireless radios and control electronics that direct a cloud of individual flying nodes to connect with each other and form a wireless mesh. Within minutes of becoming airborne, this mesh of devices enables networked communication between any two peers. If any one peer obtains a connection to the world wide web, it is shared to the entire network, allowing everyone access.

Riding on each airborne node is an electronic package consisting of low-cost wireless radios, electromechanical actuators and a small micro-controller that allows devices to precisely aim across kilometres while riding on the wind. A tethered devices can remain airborne for long periods using wired power, while free-hovering powered flying machines can be rotated in and out to bridge network gaps in extreme conditions. The network can be built from a diversity of node types, ranging from $50 to $1000 and operate on simple 12v batteries, solar or mains power.