Until now drones have had more or less unrivalled air freedom – they can fly unimpeded wherever they like over our cities, causing a potential nightmare for police and air traffic control. But that may be about to change with the unveiling of the Interceptor MP200 and its “antidrone strategy”.
The new device does not rely on firepower to defeat rival drones, rather it is designed to neutralise them by catching smaller drones them in a net.
The interceptor was demonstrated in La Queue-en-Brie, France, earlier this year by Malou Tech.
Scientific American looks at its potential.
The remote-controlled, defensive ambusher could be law enforcement’s airborne answer to an emerging security threat. Earlier this year personal flying bots were spotted hovering suspiciously over cultural and diplomatic landmarks in central Paris. Since October 2014 officials have recorded more than 60 incidents of drone activity near France’s capital and its nuclear plants. In 2012 the nation adopted civilian drone legislation that has begun to go into effect, including a requirement for permissions to fly over populated areas. Here in the U.S., laws and regulations that govern flight of unmanned aircraft are still evolving.
