Preparing For Rogue Drones During the Super Bowl
Echodyne is an electronic company based out of Kirkland, WA, that creates a drone detecting radar system. Echodyne was granted expedited approval from the FCC to test their new system during the Super Bowl game between the L.A. Rams and New England Patriots. Echodyne was awarded the opportunity to facilitate the operation of radar within the vicinity of the Mercedes-Benz stadium, along with the responsibility of alerting security personnel and federal agents of any unknown drone activity in the area during the game.
The drone test was carried out within the guidance of the FBI. According to Echodyne, radar can easily and effectively detect, identify, and track flying objects. The system that they use is able to tell the difference between the dangers of a drone vs harmless balloons or birds. This crucial information is then passed to devices that attempt to jam the signals and direct attacks to drones by the use of nets. This test is meant to evaluate the effectiveness of the radar system in real life scenarios.
Testing their radar system during the Super Bowl was set to be a major milestone for the company. The biggest set back they faced was getting their application approved on time due to the delay because of by the government shutdown. Documents revealed that the company was able to make an emergency request to the FCC on the 18th of January. Recognizing the importance of this test, the application was approved.
In regards to Echodyne’s test results, so no official comment has been made. However, according to Eben Frankenberg, the CEO of Echodyne, the system is set to be something you will regularly see in stadiums going forward.
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