Slashdot Mirror


New Bird Shaped Drone Shown at Security and Defense Trade Show

garymortimer writes "SHEPHERD-MIL, a UAV which looks like a native bird with the same flight performance, will be featured at HOMSEC 2013. This UAV is characterized by the glide-ratio and noiseless motor that make it invisible, silent and unobtrusive in sensitive missions. SHEPHERD-MIL is equipped with cameras and geolocation software. The system is especially suitable for border surveillance missions, firefighting, and anti-drug trafficking operations amongst others."

10 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. Firefighting? by Mr2cents · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why would you disguise a UAV as a bird if you want to use it for firefighting? Also, it's just a press release infomercial, some guys want to put their hand in the military money jar so they put some feathers on a remote controlled airplane. Awesome... not!

    --
    "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
  2. Interesting patent issues... by girlinatrainingbra · · Score: 3, Interesting
    If you follow one of the links inside the linked article for this, you find an interesting statement about some software available on iTunes called Parrot: Parrot removes FreeFlight 2.2 from iTunes
    French manufacturers of the worlds most popular UA have plainly run into problems. They issued a statement yesterday:- AR.Freeflight 2.2 was removed from iTunes last month due to the need for patentsâ(TM) clarification on accelerometer and absolute control...
    In a couple of years time I donâ(TM)t believe anyone will be left flying UAS with conventional RC gear when the smartphone in their pocket will be able to cope.

    It's talking about a way of controlling RC aircraft using your smart phone with a map-view control system rather than using a standard stick-controller to control the plane's pitch/yaw/roll using the control surface actuators directly. It's a shame that even software to do basic things like this has to deal with patent crap. Boo software patents!

  3. Re:Shape versus behavior by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's a bird!

    It's a plane!

    (Somebody really needs to come up with a Superman UAV.)

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  4. "...sensitive missions...firefighting..." by John+Hasler · · Score: 4, Funny

    Because, after all, you wouldn't want the fire to know it was being watched.

    --
    Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
  5. Re:Shape versus behavior by Ken_g6 · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's a bird!

    It's a plane!

    (Somebody really needs to come up with a Superman UAV.)

    Somebody did!

    --
    (T>t && O(n)--) == sqrt(666)
  6. Re:Shape versus behavior by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's a Birdplane!

    (Hey, you asked for it...).

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  7. Re:Hmm by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's always drone season (*cocks shotgun*).

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  8. Can we leave the birds out of this? by Jeremi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Birds have enough problems without being always shot at on sight because they might be spies.

    --


    I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
  9. Re:Hyphenation by teaserX · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oddly, there are number of emu ranches in the southwestern U.S. so that would not be out of place. An emu in sky might, however, raise an eyebrow.

    --
    We really need your help
    http://www.gofundme.com/help-sherry
  10. Actual Birds by Flere+Imsaho · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I fly RC quite a lot, and it's not uncommon for birds of prey, gulls and magpies to attack model planes. Magpies, especially when broody and you are near their nest, will attack relentlessly. A mate has a plane that's shaped and painted to look like a hawk, and he reckons he gets twice as many attacks when flying it compared with his more conventional rigs.

    So I wonder what the lifespan of these things will be?

    --
    It gripped her hand gently. 'Regret is for humans,' it said.