While the number of drones in the sky is increasing exponentially, the US company Battelle has developed a shoulder-mounted rifle to could be used to target and knock unwanted drones flying around.
DroneDefender is an electromagnetic cannon that sends pulses of radio waves to disrupt communications between the drone and its operator
“We were very adamant about not doing damage,” Alex Morrow, technical director on the product, told The Register. “The device uses proprietary electronics to create a signal that’s disruptive to the drone and breaks the link between the drone and its controller. There’s no damage to the drone.”
The DroneDefender emits a harmless cone of radio waves that obscures the GPS and control signals that drones normally receive.
The company announced that the sale of the DroneDefenders is limited to Government entities
“For today we’re very particular about staying on the right side of the law,” said senior researcher Dan Stamm.
Do we need a similar weapon?
The DroneDefender can help protect us from those who may wish to do us harm,” said Dan Stamm, who led the research project. “It can help us in numerous settings, from the White House lawn to bases and embassies overseas; from prisons and schools to historic sites. It easily and reliably neutralizes the threat.”
The experts explained that in some circumstance drones that are used in an improper way could interfere with operations in several scenarios, for example, this year, drones used to film the fires in California have created several problems for the firefighters.
State legislation is now being considered that would allow federal workers to knock out drones that are in the way. ®
If you want to see DroneDefender in action give a look to the following video.
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(Security Affairs – drones, DroneDefender electromagnetic gun)