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'Microdrone', the police's tiny eye in the sky
Telegraph ^ | 03/08/08 | Tom Chivers and agencies

Posted on 03/07/2008 8:28:15 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster

'Microdrone', the police's tiny eye in the sky

By Tom Chivers and agencies

Last Updated: 2:14am GMT 08/03/2008

In size and appearance it may resemble a toy - and the fact that it can squirt a jet of water on to unsuspecting people's heads may add to that impression - but this is in fact a £25,000 hi-tech crime-fighting machine.

A remote-controlled and almost silent miniature helicopter, the "Microdrone" can act as a police commander's eye in the sky, capturing images with both a video and an infra-red camera and instantly transmitting it to operators on the ground up to 500 yards away.

Barely the size of a dustbin lid - around two feet across - the tiny drone is nonetheless armed to the hilt with crime-fighting technology, including a squirt-gun which can fire jets of a liquid called "SmartWater" which can be identified by police.

British Transport Police (BTP) have been using the Microdrone in their operation to crack down on metal thefts on the railways.

A spokesman for BTP said: "Although it may look simple, it's actually a complex bit of kit, capable of many things.

"There's only one being used at the moment as it is an expensive device which costs several thousands of pounds."

While police have welcomed the device as the latest tool in the war on crime, concerns have been raised that it may be used to intrude on privacy.

Bloggers have pointed out that a silent, tiny machine capable of focusing its cameras on objects more than 350 feet away could be abused both by the authorities and private owners, who could use it as a "peeping tom" device.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: britain; crowdcontrol; microdrone; surveillance Comment #1 Removed by Moderator

To: neverdem

Ping!


2 posted on 03/07/2008 8:28:36 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

It looks like the progeny of the folding helicoptor (Little Nellie) James Bond flew in “You Only Live Twice” and the giant ping pong ball that was always chasing Patrick McGoohan in “The Prisoner.”


3 posted on 03/07/2008 8:34:37 PM PST by Huntress (“When you have to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.”--Tuco)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

“PULL!”

BLAM! BLAM!


4 posted on 03/07/2008 8:35:25 PM PST by Crim (Dont frak with the Zeitgeist....)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
and can squirt water at bystanders

- thousands of dollars for a machine to pee on people...

5 posted on 03/07/2008 8:35:32 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Looks just like the Draganflyer from rctoys.com.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

6 posted on 03/07/2008 8:40:13 PM PST by John Jorsett (scam never sleeps)
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To: maine-iac7; TigerLikesRooster
and can squirt water at bystanders

- thousands of dollars for a machine to pee on people...

If it is capable of squirting water it can be used to deploy other liquids--some merely irritating, some deadly. Use your imagination.

7 posted on 03/07/2008 8:43:03 PM PST by lightman (Waiting for Godot and searching for Avignon.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Oh great. We’re going to have a spate of UFO reports pretty soon from these strange-looking flying drones.


8 posted on 03/07/2008 8:45:32 PM PST by RayChuang88
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Silent but deadly, the Flying Aerial Reconnaisance Tricopter, or FART, patrols the skies, searching for Brits who are speeding or committing hate crimes against peaceful Asian citizens.


9 posted on 03/07/2008 8:46:09 PM PST by Defiant (Para votar Obama, se necessita una cabeza de nada...un cabeza de nada, para mi para ti, ay arriba..)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Dumb, Stupid coppers. That was not funny

10 posted on 03/07/2008 8:52:03 PM PST by MaxMax (I need a life after politics)
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To: Huntress

ah-h-h-h , . nice post Huntress

{{ “we’re a Great Lot , the FR class of ‘04 !!!” , .. .. somehow managed to keep our head down , during TheBugZapperThread , *grin* }}


11 posted on 03/07/2008 9:25:21 PM PST by Dad yer funny (FoxNews is morphing , and not for the better ,... internal struggle? Its hard to watch)
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To: Huntress
"and the giant ping pong ball that was always chasing Patrick McGoohan in 'The Prisoner'."

Thanks for the memory ...


12 posted on 03/07/2008 9:36:31 PM PST by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: TigerLikesRooster
When you have pics from Getty or Corbis, the way to view them is with a link.

Thanks for the ping.

13 posted on 03/07/2008 9:37:31 PM PST by neverdem
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To: lightman
If it is capable of squirting water it can be used to deploy other liquids--some merely irritating, some deadly. Use your imagination.

Oh great. Make my day...now it's not just mosquitoes and black flies - I gotta worry about the drones!

14 posted on 03/08/2008 8:07:45 AM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Well no wonder the Queen won’t let her subjects own guns...can’t have them plonking away at the at the sheriffs toys...


15 posted on 03/08/2008 8:11:19 AM PST by mo
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To: Dad yer funny

Thank you. Did you notice that it zapped Blofeld’s cat (see post # 10)?


16 posted on 03/08/2008 9:51:44 AM PST by Huntress (“When you have to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.”--Tuco)
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