Nearly every day we read new reports of rogue drones flying into restricted air spaces. Now, we all have the uncle who threatens to take down neighborhood quadcopters with scattershot, but authorities around the world are interested in more sophisticated tech.
As a result, Battelle’s DroneDefender is becoming increasingly popular. Right now, the technology is can only be sold to or used by federal authorities under a strict permitting process, but sales have still taken off, with nearly 100 units already sold to the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
The DroneDefender weighs less than 15 pounds, depending on the configuration, so it is light enough for an individual to point and shoot, and it can provide increased protection in a world where unmanned aircraft systems are showing up at government buildings, large public gatherings, and other sensitive sites.
The drone uses radio control frequency disruption to stop drones in the air before they can pose a threat to military or civilian safety. According to the company, it’s a point-and-shoot system with a 400-meter range. Once the drone is in its sites, the Defender forces it to revert to one of three pre-programmed protocols: hover in place, slowly descend and land, or return to its flight origin point. Not nearly as messy as the uncle’s solution, though not nearly as fun either.
The units are manufactured at Battelle’s Advanced Manufacturing facility in Dublin, Ohio.
