Always being harassed by pesky drones? We’ve got just the Christmas present for you…
A research and development firm in the US has created a rifle that kills drones by shooting radio waves.
The device, which Battelle is calling the ‘Drone Defender’, is described as “the first portable, accurate, rapid-to-use counter-weapon to stop suspicious or hostile drones in flight, providing critical security protection at home and abroad”.
“This is just the kind of tool we need to safely counter a drone threat,” says Dan Stamm, lead researcher at Battelle.
Stamm continues: “
To actually shoot a moving drone out of the sky from hundreds of feet away, you’d need to be a very capable marksman. You’d also be breaking UK law.
However, the Drone Defender lets you take down a drone, quadcopter, or hexacopter, from up to 400 metres away.
Check out the video:
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It works by interfering with the radio frequency of a drone, tricking it into believing that it’s out of range of the owner.
When this happens, most drones are programmed to either return to the owner, make a controlled descent, or fall out of the sky.
“It can help us in numerous settings, from the White House lawn to bases and embassies overseas; from prisons and schools to historic sites,” says Alex Morrow, Bastelle’s technical director. “It easily and reliably neutralises the threat.”
Related: 11 jawdropping videos that will make you want a drone
In less militant news, recent reports suggest that the US Department of Transportation is working on a drone registration scheme.
Apparently set for imminent announcement, the scheme will require all drones in the USA to be registered by their owners.
It’s in response to rising instances of reckless drone use, and could be enforced as soon as Christmas.
Would you be interested in a Drone Defender? Tell us why in the comments.
Check out our smartphone buyer’s video guide below:
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.