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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: 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.