Slashdot Mirror


Mini Drone Detects Breathing and Motion

garymortimer writes "The Phoenix 40-A mini-UAV system is capable of performing dual functions as a motion detector as well as probing for breathing of a hiding person in a compound. The mini-UAV can be remotely controlled at long standoff distances from ground or an airborne asset. In addition to the programmed, GPS-guided multi-waypoint visits, the integrated video cameras allow for day and night landing and monitoring of a premises under surveillance for enhanced situational awareness."

14 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Flying robocops... by bennomatic · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What could possibly go wrong?

    --
    The CB App. What's your 20?
  2. Re:fabulous... by kitsunewarlock · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A device that can help us find lost people, victims in disaster areas and potentially dangerous criminals seems doesn't sound like anything but trying to solve new problems.
    But I'll be the first to admit that the article scared the ever living crap out of me. If I was some kind of rogue agent sent to blahblahdystopianrebelsblahblahblah I'm sure I'd be really scared too.

    --
    Ginga no Rekshiya Mata Each page.
  3. Could it find buried earthquake victims? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

    Well, at least there might be a civilian use for this critter.

    Meanwhile, the sniffer dogs union has protested, and threatened to trot away from the next catastrophe, unless they are guaranteed job security and human legs to hump.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  4. Just another tool... by lexsird · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's just another tool, the question is who will get to use it? I am sure that in societies such as Briton's, where they have wide coverage of CC cameras, and people don't feel their privacy violated enough versus the security gained, these tools will find a place. Just a speculation. Already we have had American law enforcement want the use of Predator drones. There was a case of them wanting it in Florida, but the FAA or something was having problems with it flying around in busy airspace.

    On the other hand, as wonderful of a gizmo as this might seem, it's going to fall prey to a technically proficient enemy or criminal at some point. A few things come to mind, one is how do you sneak up on anyone if they are able to detect an RF signal? Falling prey to being jammed at best, cracked at worse, also comes to mind.

    Like them or not, drones are here to stay I think, sans the planet becoming saturated in some kind of solar based electromagnetic energy that renders known RF moot. Here is something for the truly paranoid among us to ponder. With the push for even more coverage and faster broadband mobile networking, how long before entire fleets of drones could be made, launched and controlled? I was watching the commercial of the kid with a 4G phone dangling from his RC helicopter and thinking of how this would make a wonderful network to control a drone army from.

    --
    Take the Red Pill.
  5. Re:How does it detect breathing? by DsrtEgl50 · · Score: 2

    Most of the literature I've read regarding STW and STTW radar monitors the doppler shift on the return signal looking for a periodic ~3 to 6Hz signal corresponding to the typical respiration rate of humans. When found, the source area is flagged for more precise imaging. The motion of breathing is usually subtle enough to be skipped by larger scale motion detection algorithms, and is labeled differently accordingly.

  6. I feel slightly Ill... by unil_1005 · · Score: 4, Funny

    My mammy always taught me it is impolite to kill somebody you have not been properly introduced to.

  7. Re:mea culpa by Rakishi · · Score: 2

    Even in military usage it seems a good thing, war and the resulting dead civilians will never go away but more information would prevent killing civilians as often.

    The real problem for such technology is in domestic surveillance and the ever present move toward a police state.

  8. These People MUST Be Watching Movies by IonOtter · · Score: 2

    They're watching all the end-of-humanity movies to make sure they get their killer robots right.

    --
    [End Of Line]
  9. Fukushima? by democrates · · Score: 2

    TEPCO workers can't see what's going on in those reactor buildings without taking huge personal risk.

    If they used something like this to survey they'd know where to aim the fire hoses instead of waiting until there's another plume of smoke from the spent cores they're missing. Just saying.

  10. Would make a great headline for The Onion: by porky_pig_jr · · Score: 2

    mini drone detects breathing and motion, kills puppy.

  11. Re:Oooo - Shiny! by couchslug · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Now we can kill civilians without having to see them."

    Conventional artillery called, and is offended at being left out of the discussion!

    --
    "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
  12. I love the USA by Swampash · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If there's a technology that can be used for surveillance of its own citizens, the US will throw unlimited resources at it. Cure for cancer? Mission to Mars? Not so much.

  13. Re:mea culpa by stewbacca · · Score: 2

    Cool stuff always starts as military and/or space technology, duh.

    Care to cite zero drone flights in Japan? Because I know an entire military unit in Las Vegas that is doing nothing but 24/7 drone operations in Japan.

  14. Re:Better killing machines by stewbacca · · Score: 2

    Something tells me you don't understand the importance of situation awareness, which is the entire point of this system. Should we ban radars and radios, while we are at it, since those are nothing other than sophisticated killing machines?