Altaeros Energies' Airborne Turbine

The first time you see this bizarre aircraft floating high above the horizon, you may be confused. It looks kind of like a giant, winged doughnut.

It's 35 feet wide, and inventors call it the BAT.

It's an unmanned, helium-filled, cylindrical blimp wrapped around three spinning blades that turn wind into electricity.

Can the BAT, which stands for buoyant airborne turbine, help bring life-saving electricity to an estimated 1 billion people in rural areas where power is unavailable?

Altaeros Energies, launched four years ago by a group of MIT grads, hopes so. The young company is competing with Google and other outfits trying to bring the first viable airborne wind turbine to market.

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