Interest in drones is soaring and experts predict their use will only skyrocket. But what happens when the unmanned aerial vehicles go rogue or enter restricted airspace?
A Michigan Technological University professor is working on a way for agencies to safely take down runaway flying machines should they threaten air traffic, military bases, government buildings or sporting events.
“I envision this technology being used by law enforcement to provide security and counter rouge drones,” said Mohammad Rastgaar-Aagah, an associate professor with Michigan Tech’s Mechanical Engineering Department in Houghton.
“The system we’re developing will quickly capture a drone and remove it from an area so it’s no longer a threat to anyone’s safety.”
Rastgaar’s system involves a drone that can shoot a net at other unmanned aircraft and haul them in, The Detroit News (http://detne.ws/1TmEUaY ) reported. He likens using the unmanned aircraft to catch other drones to falconry, the sport where falcons or other birds of prey are trained to hunt.
“If law enforcement officers see a drone where there shouldn’t be one, they turn the system on and send it toward a rogue drone to catch it, take it somewhere safe and land with it,” he said.
He said he got the idea for his drone catcher while watching a 2014 World Cup soccer match. A commentator mentioned there were snipers in the Brazilian stadium to deal with threats, he said. Rastgaar wondered how they would handle a drone carrying something dangerous flying over the field.
He discussed it with some of his students, and his
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