[eye30]

Three British companies have worked together on a device which is able to freeze a drone’s signal.


Developed by three British companies – Enterprise Control Systems, Blighter Surveillance Systems and Chess Dynamics – the Anti-UAV Defense System uses radar to detect drones. A camera with thermal imaging then provides a visual target, sending out a high-powered radio signal which jams the drone’s signal.

New technology could blast drones out of the sky - BT

[The Gonz]

A single-scenario countermeasure which is obsolete the moment it's published.

[asathorny]

also, if it works by radio interference, does this mean the we can expect an Airbus 380 to be landing in downtown Manchester anytime soon.   Like the one in Stockport did :-

Stockport air disaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ibrokeit]

Esp. considering many serious quad/hex/etc-copter drone builders are now putting automatic flight control systems (or sophisitcated auto-pilots) into their drones... with things like GPS, Battery Voltage & Current monintoring, Altitude (though often done by GPS), etc., etc. by using micro processors - either ones additional to those needed for motor control, etc. (making a drone actually have level flight and not become unstable when maneuvering is relatively complex by it's self)

Allows things to be done like on loss of signal: fly to these co-ordinates and land; maintain last position/action and altitude until battery power useage dictates landing, then land; or even with previous two scenarios - keep doing what we were doing, but ensure we have enough power to fly to position x and land (i.e. keep going but ensure we can get home); of course there are variations on maintain last position... orbit around last, or x, position; ascend/descend to x altitude, etc., etc.

Of course other things can also be done with such systems - such as programming waypoints based on topographical maps, so the drone can fly a flight without any input, etc..

Not saying the hexcopter shown here (full build instructions - or very very near)  Building UP an ArduCopter! was built with those capabilities, but being it uses arduCopter ArduCopter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and various related PCB/hardware it can, and is, done.

Of course many of the things than apply to such 'drone' copters also apply to R/C model aircraft (and helicopters) control and power systems - most drones being flown manually are flown by R/C model aircraft 'transmitters' (hand controls - in any semi-serious R/C setup the transmitter is a separate module that plugs into the controller but the controller still gets called the transmitter).  One rather cheaply priced controller can be modded (requiring a little electronics work) and given much improved and much more functional open source firmware - including telemetry on LCD screen (requires more electronics work - and replacing the cheap digital TX that comes with it, with an better one that needs to basically be hardwired in) - see Turnigy 9X, openTX and FrSky Telemetry - RCHacker.com - Radio Control for Engineers, Hackers and the advanced Hobbyist

[The Gonz]

 
Precisely my point, only with many more words.
Jamming a GPS or guidance signal is a very narrow and inadequate approach to the schemes now available for autonomous flight.

[ibrokeit]

Precisely my point, only with many more words.
Jamming a GPS or guidance signal is a very narrow and inadequate approach to the schemes now available for autonomous flight.

Hehe - I am good at that.  Didn't know how many reading this would know about drone tech - and why it would be obsolete.

[FatBoy]

Well, there are drones like the ones that the average Joe gets; and then there are drones like the Predator and Global Hawk. 

A good friend of mine in the Navy is involved in developing UAS tactics and techniques for use at sea.  I have utilised UAS like Scan Eagle for intelligence gathering.

Remember, to use that technology against the drones, you first have to know that they are there!!

[ibrokeit]

Well, there are drones like the ones that the average Joe gets; and then there are drones like the Predator and Global Hawk. 

A good friend of mine in the Navy is involved in developing UAS tactics and techniques for use at sea.  I have utilised UAS like Scan Eagle for intelligence gathering.

Remember, to use that technology against the drones, you first have to know that they are there!!

Yup - that there is... a difference in the type of drones (mil v civilian; and with civilian there is also pro v amateur/consumer; also fixed v multi-rotor).   I have noticed, in general, when people speak about drones they usually are either meaning fixed wing military or consumer multi-rotor.

I have friend, who I have known via the net for over 15 years now, who hand makes (and sells) drones (multi-rotor) for the purpose of carrying expensive cameras/lenses (region of $1k up), etc. - lets just say his builds them strong, builds them well, ensures they won't 'freeze & crash' if control is lost, etc.. cuz you don't want that to happen when the craft and equipment it is carrying costs a bit.  And is quite derisive of people who play with drones and put aircraft in danger while doing so.  Even more derisive of, as he calls, 'people with cheap iPhone toys getting into trouble' doing the same and/or hitting people, etc. and making those with 'serious rigs' look bad.