An autonomous interceptor drone capable of detecting, tracking and capturing unauthorized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) entering restricted airspace has been developed by a team of researchers from Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg.
Designed to address the growing security risks presented by the emergence of UAVs, the interceptor drone is expected to protect airports, stadiums, prisons and other sites potentially vulnerable to suspicious drones.
Source: Martin Henriquez Wehr
According to its developers, the system is outfitted with an extendable net for safely capturing intruding drones without producing debris or incurring collateral damage.
The autonomous interceptor drone also features an autonomous target acquisition system that relies on lidar sensors to detect a potential intruder. Further, the system features an onboard camera with artificial intelligence (AI)-based recognition to confirm that the target is actually a drone and not a bird or any other harmless object. As soon as it is verified, the drone moves into position.
When the intercepting drone closes in on its target, it then launches the extendable net, which unfurls mid-flight to trap the suspicious drone with little damage and safely so that security agencies can potentially determine the origin and operator of the captured drone.
“Ensuring that the incoming drone is captured safely and remains as undamaged as possible was crucial,” for doing so, the researchers concluded.
