Introducing a self-flying drone security guard

Aptonomy Inc. has unveiled a self-flying drone security guard that could make prison breaks, robberies, or any malicious intrusion near impossible. The company has built its systems on top of a drone that is often used by moviemakers, the DJI S-1000+, known as the camera-carrying octocopter.

Adding to the skeleton, the drone has a new flight controller, a second computer to power day- and night-vision cameras, bright lights, and loudspeakers. And more importantly than the hardware features, Aptonomy developed artificial intelligence and navigational systems that allow the device to fly low and fast while avoiding obstacles and detecting human activity or faces in the area autonomously.

To fly the drone, a user opens up a browser, clicks on a point on the map to send out the drone to a particular location, and can either watch the flight in real-time or review a recording of it later. Aptonomy’s drones can be programmed to fly wherever a motion detector communicates data that suggests unusual activity on the ground.

Co-founders Mihail Pivtoraiko and Siddharth Sanan explained that many drones in commercial use are being used from hundreds of feet in the air to do anything from thermal to topographic mapping. However, those devices can’t perceive human faces like security guards must.

Notably, prosumer camera drones that fly lower do not have the motion controls and perception required to navigate safely. Without a human pilot, flying around environments such as a nuclear power plant, cell towers, or a supermax prison can prove to be complex.

But Aptonomy’s drones have the ability to rove over a set area and can be accessed by a guard who may be hundreds or thousands of miles away. They can record suspicious activity, shine a light on intruders, allow two-way communication with the intruder via loudspeakers, and warn off potential troublemakers by being an intimidating presence in the air.

The company believes that businesses with numerous infrastructure-related assets will want to use its drones to supplement or replace their human patrols. Aptonomy’s drones can be programmed to approach intruders in a way that is compliant with all relevant laws and protocols.

Source: TechCrunch