Meet DroneCatcher – The Drone That Catches Rogue Drones
September 19, 2017
Meet the DroneCatcher, a new type of drone specifically designed to capture rogue drones using a special net designed to incapacitate them. The latest version of the DroneCatcher was revealed earlier this week at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event in London, where its various features were shown to an eager audience.
What is the DroneCatcher?
Developed by Delft Dynamics, a Dutch company, and supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the Dutch National Police, and the Dutch Ministry of Safety and Justice, the Drone Catcher is a small VTOL (Vertical Take Off Landing) multicopter armed with special net-gun that can capture rogue or weaponized drones. The netgun itself was designed to subdue most types of commercial and hobby drones.
Aside from its weapon, the DroneCatcher also features a camera, a laser rangefinder as well as track and trace system for detecting and tracking drones. The reason why the DroneCatcher features several detection devices is that it is designed to detect rogue drones in various ways. One method involves the use of radar, while another involves the use of its “sight,” which is facilitated by the DroneCatcher’s camera and laser rangefinder. A third method involves acoustic detection, which allows the DroneCatcher to “listen” for rogue drones.
How Does The DroneCatcher “Catch” Other Drones?
Once it has acquired its target, the DroneCatcher then moves in to apprehend it. Due to its multicopter design, the DroneCatcher is faster and more maneuverable than most other types of hobby drones, which allows it to keep up with most of its targets.
Once the DroneCatcher is close enough, it locks the netgun on its target using its multiple onboard sensors. The track and trace system then makes sure that the shooting net will hit the target drone, capturing it.
The net itself is also tethered to the DroneCatcher, which allows it to tow its target to a safe area in case the latter is carrying explosives or some harmful materials. If the rogue drone is too heavy, however, then the DroneCatcher will release a special parachute to control their descent to the ground.
Why Was The DroneCatcher Created?
Small and unlicensed drones have become a security problem in recent times. Hobby drones, for example, can be weaponized to carry explosives, and even those that have no weapons can still be used to threaten most types of aircraft.
It’s worth mentioning, for example, that terrorist organizations, like ISIS, have already intensified their use of surveillance drones against the U.S. military, and hobby drones have become so common, that many would-be terrorists have no trouble buying one off the store and then weaponizing it with a little help from online sources.
Given the threat posed by these drones, it’s important for law enforcement to have the necessary tools to stop rogue drones. DroneCatcher is intended to be one such tool, and was designed both for overseas war zones as well as homeland security. Not only can the DroneCatcher be used to protect critical infrastructure, like power plants and critical facilities, it can also be used to protect major events, like Football games or holiday celebrations.
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