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from the catch-and-release-into-custody dept.
The Dutch police have partnered with Guard From Above, a raptor training company based in The Hague, to determine whether eagles could be used as intelligent, adaptive anti-drone weapon systems. The eagles are specially trained to identify and capture drones, although from the way most birds of prey react to drones, my guess is that not a lot of training was necessary. After snatching the drone out of the sky, the eagles instinctively find a safe area away from people to land and try [to] take a couple confused bites out of their mechanical prey before their handlers can reward them with something a little less plastic-y. The advantage here is that with the eagles, you don't have to worry about the drone taking off out of control or falling on people, since the birds are very good at mid-air intercepts as well as bringing the drone to the ground without endangering anyone.
Video (in Dutch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HifO-ebmE1s
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 03 2016, @04:24PM
The title of the youtube video, as posted by the Dutch police, is "Politie zet roofvogels in om vijandige drones uit de lucht te halen". This translates to "Police employs raptors to take out enemy drones" (emphasis mine).
Why the choice of the phrasing 'enemy' drones? Which enemy? Who's enemy? What did they do to become 'the enemy'?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 03 2016, @04:57PM
"Rogue" may have been a better word choice.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday February 03 2016, @06:54PM
Doesn't "rogue" imply that the operator of the throne is authorized by whichever organization in general, just acting on his own all of a sudden? Implying they have authorization in the first place.
How about "pesky"?
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday February 03 2016, @06:56PM
Hmm, s/throne/drone/. Interesting slip there.
(maybe I've been watching too much Stargate: Atlantis lately, heh)
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by Yog-Yogguth on Friday February 05 2016, @01:32PM
I'm not the AC but no I don't think it implies that although it could be seen that way in the sense of a drone having gone out of control. Here's the Wiktionary entry [wiktionary.org].
There's also a lot of examples of different uses [wikipedia.org] on WIkipedia.
Bite harder Ouroboros, bite! tails.boum.org/ linux USB CD secure desktop IRC *crypt tor (not endorsements (XKeyScore))
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Wednesday February 03 2016, @07:25PM
Ours. Because XKCD. Drones are more accurate. [xkcd.com]
(Score: 2) by Yog-Yogguth on Friday February 05 2016, @01:38PM
Ours indeed. Sadly out of points. Also one of the best and most insightful XKCD ever including the image alternative description text commentary.
Bite harder Ouroboros, bite! tails.boum.org/ linux USB CD secure desktop IRC *crypt tor (not endorsements (XKeyScore))
(Score: 4, Insightful) by wonkey_monkey on Wednesday February 03 2016, @04:55PM
After snatching the drone out of the sky, the eagles instinctively find a safe area away from people to land and try [to] take a couple confused bites out of their mechanical prey before their handlers can reward them with something a little less plastic-y.
Are they fussy enough eaters not to actually swallow anything they manage to rip off?
The advantage here is that with the eagles, you don't have to worry about the drone taking off out of control or falling on people, since the birds are very good at mid-air intercepts as well as bringing the drone to the ground without endangering anyone.
Except for the eagles themselves? I wouldn't want to stick my beak or talons into a drone's props.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 03 2016, @05:05PM
Do eagles need to trained to attack drones or will wild birds attack any drone including police drones?
(Score: 2) by Arik on Wednesday February 03 2016, @05:53PM
Something of a guess but I suspect while wild birds do sometimes attack 'drones' it would tend to be a negative experience for them and thus unlikely to be repeated. They are probably a bit hurty to tackle and they are clearly not good eating. Since it's not something they see as food to begin with they aren't likely to even try it unless they somehow feel it is threatening or 'in their space' to begin with. The training is required to reinforce the behavior that would otherwise be extinguished - give the bird some tasty treats in exchange for the drone so that from their view it worked out well and should be repeated.
Someone mentioned it being hazardous for the raptor - well yes but no more so than other things they will naturally hunt for food. Particularly with the 'drones' that are shown in the article.
Which brings me to another point. When they say 'drones' it brings to mind perhaps a Predator or even a Reaper. But what they are talking about is nothing like that. What they appear to have their raptor attacking is nothing other than a small RC helicopter. Still not good eating, and potentially hurty, but a far cry from an actual drone. That thing can be safely nabbed, the only thing the bird needs to avoid is the rotors, and even if it gets hit with them that shouldnt wound it severely - only hurt it and motivate it to use a different grab next time.
IF they could handle drones rather than just small RC aircraft, I would expect at least a couple of drones to have been lost to birds in the "AF-PAK" area, as falconry is an ancient and still-practiced art in that area, with many practitioners and some of the largest eagles in the world.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Informative) by Gravis on Wednesday February 03 2016, @06:22PM
the birds are very good at mid-air intercepts as well as bringing the drone to the ground without endangering anyone.
Except for the eagles themselves? I wouldn't want to stick my beak or talons into a drone's props.
as far as i can tell they are banking on people using consumer-grade quads that have safety features to detect resistance. if one of these birds gets into a fight with a DIY quad, it won't go unscathed.
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Wednesday February 03 2016, @07:37PM
as far as i can tell they are banking on people using consumer-grade quads that have safety features to detect resistance.
In my experience, even those that do have a threshold for "resistance" that comfortably includes epidermal damage before it gives up.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 3, Interesting) by arslan on Wednesday February 03 2016, @09:49PM
The article mentioned they did consider potential injury to the raptors and eluded to "protections" for them..... armored raptors!!!
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday February 03 2016, @10:40PM
Next on SyFy: Sharknado XII: Revenge of the Fallen Silver Raptors.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 03 2016, @05:52PM
It seems to me that if the drones are large enough to cause the kind of problem they put in the example : like if a drone is preventing an air ambulance from landing., then an eagle won't be able to handle the drone.
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Wednesday February 03 2016, @06:19PM
It started with the laser sharks and the random Dutch hate... But we all failed to see his prophetic vision of doom. Now, we live in this genetically engineered, weaponized, armored and computer aided Pokémon meets Falconry dystopian future...
Sorry Tork :D
compiling...
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Wednesday February 03 2016, @06:19PM
Eagle grabs drone from the air... then flies into a wall [youtu.be]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 03 2016, @06:41PM
<v voice-over>To some it's just a toy, to others it's an annoying or even dangerous obstacle.
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<v voice-over>It's hard to imagine an airspace without drones. Or is it?
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<v voice-over>This eagle quickly puts an end to this drone's flight.
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<v voice-over>He is specially trained to catch these devices from the air
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<v voice-over>and transport them to a safe location.
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<v Hoogendoorn>The raptor sees the drone as a prey, so it tries to bring its prey to a safe location,
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<v Hoogendoorn>where it tries to guard it, because it thinks it as his prey.
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<v voice-over>The police has been searching for more effective ways to repel drones from places they're not allowed to fly.
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<v Wiebes>There are situations where people are not allowed to fly, within controlled airspace, as it's called,
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<v Wiebes>which is usually related to risk of danger to bystanders.
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<v Wiebes>In one case, a trauma helicopter wanted to land on a certain spot, but couldn't because somebody was flying a drone there.
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<v Wiebes>In another case, somebody was flying near an airport, near Schiphol,
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<v Wiebes>which was somebody who was just playing around, which can create dangerous situations.
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<v voice-over>As the amount of drones rapidly increases, so too increases the amount of incidents.
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<v voice-over>To police, these raptors are a possible means to intervene more quickly before things go awry.
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<v Wiebes>Our current capabilities are limited to finding the drone's pilot, the person flying it,
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<v Wiebes>but it is sometimes very difficult to find them. It can take a long time before you find them.
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<v Wiebes>That's why you'd want the possibility to attack the thing itself.
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<v Wiebes>We want our 'toolbox', so to say, to be as extensive as possible,
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<v Wiebes>so we can use the most fit tool for any situation.
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<v Wiebes>This one's of course the most photogenic, but there are other measures which are more physical,
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<v Wiebes>such as catching the drone with a net, or by using electronics.
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<v voice-over>But a drone is not exactly comparable to a fish or goose. The trainers do not seem to be worried about the propellors.
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<v Hoogendoorn>The raptors have a natural protection on their legs, with scaled claws,
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<v Hoogendoorn>and besides that we're looking into additional protectional measures.
02:22.000 --> 02:30.000
<v voice-over>To these raptors, it's all just a sport. Whether they get to work as police birds will be decided in a few months.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 03 2016, @06:55PM
So, people will just put a tazers on drones and zap the eagles out of the sky. This whole thing is a waste of money and eagles.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Thursday February 04 2016, @06:50AM
Or just be mean and use steel razor-like blades.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]