The U.S. police have begun testing a device capable of high-altitude surveillance that is invisible to those on the ground. The drone, resembling a child’s remote-controlled toy, weighs approximately 2.3 kg.
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The SkySeer. Photo: AP |
The SkySeer is currently being tested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. It is reported that the drone will perform tasks that are too dangerous for police officers, allowing helicopters to be reserved for other missions. This technology may be used to search for missing children, lost individuals, or to locate areas affected by fires, according to Lieutenant Sid Heal, head of the technology exploration project at the department.
The device will also help track suspected thieves on rooftops and fleeing suspects.
The drone is equipped to operate in infrared light and low-light conditions, and it can fly at speeds of up to 48 km/h for 70 minutes. It can fold its wings and fit into a bag smaller than a standard golf bag.
“It’s essentially a high-tech kite that officers can launch in just a few minutes,” Heal stated.
A small camera capable of tilting and rotating is mounted underneath the drone, which will transmit live video footage to a laptop at the control station.
Once launched, the drone will enter an automatic flight mode combined with a global positioning system, following a predetermined flight path.
“The drone is almost silent and invisible,” Heal noted. “It will provide us with a vertical perspective we have never had before.”
Currently, the SkySeer cannot spy through windows, but privacy advocates argue that being observed by such invisible eyes from the sky is a concerning advancement.
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