Drone Lab's drone detection solution helps users detect unwanted, intrusive drones in air, ground, or water, using multi-factor authentication system.
Like it or not, drones have become a part of modern life. From the minimum-function, hobby flying machines to the professional security patrollers, drones are increasingly being used for various purposes and are intruding private lives, so much so that governments across the globe are scrambling to put together regulations to control them.
And it’s not just an issue of personal privacy. The unprecedented freedom of movement that drones have brought in has prompted its use for criminal purposes. Drones can be high in the air, on the ground, or in the water, adding a new dimension to eavesdropping and spying on facilities, individuals and infrastructure.
This is where drone detection technology comes into play. Drone Labs, an Austin, Texas-based company, offers a product that can identify the presence of unwanted drones using multi-factor authentication that can see air, ground, and water-based threats.
Drone Lab's drone detection unit.
Image Courtesy: Drone Labs.
“Because of the proliferations of these devices [drones], and the ease with which they are employed, criminals are increasingly using them,” said Zain Naboulsi, CEO of Drone Labs. “Prisons are having problems with contraband being smuggled via drones. Burglars are using them to keep a lookout while they do their work. Vandals are starting to discover uses for drones, too. The list goes on.”
Drone Lab’s drone detection unit can warn you when drones are in a specified area, through proprietary processes, and send alerts that can integrate with existing security protocols. The units come with an API that outputs packet data, which can be consumed easily by any system.
Three main factors are driving the demand for this solution, according to Naboulsi. First is local criminal issues, second, personal security concerns, and third, rising terrorism-related fears. The company is focused on catering to security companies and government agencies that seek protection from this new form of threat.
Drone Labs is not the only company that provides such a product, but it claims to be the only commercial drone detection solution to have audio, radio frequency, video, thermal and radar as part of its product plan.
“We currently have audio and radio frequency detection implemented with video coming in Q3 of 2016,” Naboulsi said. “Our radio frequency detection has been successfully tested up to 1 kilometer and, potentially, will be able to detect further by utilizing updates we have recently made.”
Naboulsi expects demand for the product to be stronger in North American and European countries where the security budgets are higher than others. With the rise in global safety concerns and the increasing use of drones, drone detection could soon become an integral part of security solutions.