No one wants a drone-related accident. The best way to ensure that one doesn't happen is to make sure everyone with a drone flies responsibly. Failing that, the second-best option could be a system of sensors and jammers that detects drones within a certain area and then sends them home.
This sensor system has actually been created by startup Dedrone, and is supported by aviation giant Airbus. Dedrone's CEO Jörg Lamprecht recently released a statement about the use of the security system against illegal drones:
Small drones have until now conquered lower airspace as criminals discovered this technology for smuggling, espionage and terrorist attacks. We offer an effective solution for this new threat that secures lower airspace once again. Airbus' and our systems complement each other perfectly, and combine early detection of drones in near and far fields with the ability to initiate effective countermeasures automatically.
First, it detects a drone.
Then, once the drone is detected and in range, a jammer sends it a signal that cuts off communication from its pilot. At that point, the drone does what it's programmed to do when it's lost: either fly back until it can reestablish a signal, or attempt to land.
It's not the flashiest way to get rid of a drone (that would be lasers), and it doesn't capture the device (like nets do), but it seems a potentially effective tool for steering drones away from an area, be it an airport, stadium, nuclear reactor, or even just a warehouse.
Here's what it looks like when the alert shows up on the desktop:
[H/T The Register]
