Police Use Remote Flying Drone to Catch Car Thief
Police in Britain have made their first arrest using an unmanned droid.
According to the DailyMail, it was announced yesterday that a suspected car thief had been apprehended thanks to a miniature remote-controlled helicopter called the Air Robot.
Merseyside Police is one of a handful of forces trying out the devices, which cost £40,000 each. Designed as a cheaper alternative to using helicopters in small-scale operation. DM reports that Merseyside has been using drones for two years, mainly to help in search and rescue operations, to execute drug warrants and to crack down on anti-social behavior.
However, the Air Robot recently aided officers in its first arrest. Using the onboard camera, and thermal-imaging technology, the operator of the remote control device was able to pick up the suspect through his body heat and direct foot patrols to his location.
Check out the video of the device in action below.
Read the full story on the DailyMail.
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40k to build that bot? why not use Lojack?
Thats the best name they could come up with?
OOO Half Life 2
40k to build that bot? why not use Lojack?
Obviously, the drone has more uses than just catching car thieves as stated in the article.
Iran and China need a bunch of these to track down those crazy democracy pushers.
finally, a good thing to use these for.
The video shows 'somebody' getting out of the car. It doesn't directly say that it is the suspect, but then it shows the cops pointing guns at him and arresting him. How hard is it for the drone to find the guy if he is still in the car???
Can't go 186mph(300kph), so I'm safe. Wait..whut?
basement-dwellers, beware.
These drones will soon be equipped with so-called non-lethal weapons to combat protesters and anyone who is non-compliant towards the governments evil regime
http://www.infowars.com/surveillan [...] ubmission/
Its always a matter of time and matter of ignorance if you can find yourself saying "oh why would they do that", then ask "why wouldn't they". Their is a limit to every point.
"and to crack down on anti-social behavior." WTF! So being anti-social is now a crime? I don't want to be social and now I have worry about a helicopter flying into my house to arrest me?
Isn't there a little drone you can buy for $500 for the iphone?
http://ardrone.parrot.com/parrot-ar-drone/en/ looks pretty similar, except for the thermal, though im sure thermal vision isn't worth $39500
Were the pigs bored of the big brother style police state surveillance, and did incidentally catch a single "suspected thief" in two years? Great accomplishment, and marvelous efficiency for tax money lu$ers...
I could build one of those for under a grand with a 1 mile radius. They got screwed!
wonder how it fairs in the rain?
"and to crack down on anti-social behavior." WTF! So being anti-social is now a crime? I don't want to be social and now I have worry about a helicopter flying into my house to arrest me?
Despite it being commonly used as such, anti-social does not mean being a loner or introverted. In its proper, technical use, the term anti-social refers to any behavior that is inconsiderate and/or damaging towards others or the property of others.
Thus, when the article mentions cracking down on anti-social behavior, it is referring to crimes committed by one person against an other, including, but not limited to, disorderly conduct, theft, or assault.
So feel free to lock yourself away in a dark room with your computer, hidden away from the eyes of the world. As far as the police are concerned, you're a model citizen. =)
"and to crack down on anti-social behavior." WTF! So being anti-social is now a crime? I don't want to be social and now I have worry about a helicopter flying into my house to arrest me?
Anti-social is the opposite to social. Not being social is being asocial.
Social: Interacting with other people in a positive manner
Asocial: Not interacting with other people
Anti-Social: Interacting with other people in a negative manner.
ie; Shouting abuse at people in the street while smoking drugs, wearing hooded tops in large groups, is anti-social. Sitting in your basement is asocial, and going to the mall with your friends is social.
Hope this clears up what us Brits mean by "anti-social" for the US readers a bit!
(@Toms editors: EDIT BUTTON PLEASE)
Also, a comparison to the terms is with theism:
Theist: Believes in higher power(s)
Atheist: Doesn't believe in higher powers
Anti-theist: Against the belief in higher powers
TIME TO BREAK OUT THE OL' CROWBARS PEOPLE
I like it, but the price is absolutely ridiculous.
Maybe if they could mass produce them for 5,000 or less, but 40,000, really?
Wow, what a waste of money! You can buy a decent gas powered helicopter for about 1000$ US. It will have better speed, stay in the air longer, and have better lifting capacity. Most of the cost of this thing comes from it's "superior" battery technology that requires everything attached to it to be super light. You could even jam a cell phone in it for control and get practically unlimited range.
Dang.
http://yayforapathy.blogspot.com/
1500ft range? Thats pathetic... A pair of thermal goggles for the officers would have been more efficient.