With airports, prisons, and other important facilities dealing with a growing number of incursions by amateur drone pilots, tech firms have been springing up to develop gear aimed at dealing with the problem.
The latest bit of kit to hit the market is this badass bazooka-like contraption from Australian firm DroneShield. This is one awesome beast by any standards, and at first glance looks as if it’d have little trouble smashing a rogue drone to smithereens. And then some.
In reality, however, the DroneGun’s method of operation is surprisingly gentle.
When the operator pulls the trigger, you’ll see no destructive projectiles flying forth from the DroneGun. Instead, the device jams the signal between the drone pilot and their bird, forcing the machine to fly rapidly back to the ground.
A neat feature also gives the operator the option to trigger the drone’s “return to home” function, making it easier for the authorities to locate the perpetrator so they can investigate the motive behind the possibly illegal flight. Keeping the drone intact also aids later inspection of the machine and preserves evidence in the case of a serious incident.
Sydney-based DroneShield officially launched its rifle-shaped device on Monday. Operated by a single person and used in conjunction with the company’s drone sensor gear, the 13-pound (6 kg) DroneGun can take down rogue quadcopters and other remotely controlled flying machines up to 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) away, a decent range that should be adequate for most locations and situations.
DroneShield says it’s marketing its device globally “to customers who are legally able to purchase it,” which probably means you won’t be using it to patrol the airspace over your house anytime soon.
Peter James, CEO of DroneShield, says is his target market includes “a wide range of customers from government and military agencies to civil infrastructure to VIP protection.”
Other anti-drone solutions that have been getting attention over the last year include this awesome projectile-firing bazooka, a net-carrying interceptor drone used by cops in Japan, and a notably low-tech system that uses trained eagles to pluck rogue drones out of the air.
For a quick look at the DroneGun in action, check out the video at the top of the page.