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Lightweight but Powerful Drone Interceptor Catches Small UAVs in Its Kevlar Net

Built from racing drone parts, the Drone Interceptor is designed to take down light UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), which it catches in its Kevlar net.
Drone Interceptor by Aleksey Zaitsevsky 8 photos
Photo: Aleksey Zaitsevsky/Vimeo
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While some advanced counter-drone systems use state-of-the-art technology and machine learning to bring down flying targets, the Drone Interceptor prototype you see in the video below this article operates in a much simpler but equally-brilliant way. It is the creation of Lithuanian Aleksey Zaitsevsky, a skilled genius who has a rich portfolio of projects to date. Drones are just one of his many passions, with this guy also having a knack for mechanics, pyrotechnics, optics, and electronics, to name just a few of them.

Back to his Drone Interceptor, the system stands out through its high power-to-weight ratio that gives it a competitive advantage over other such solutions, allowing it to fly fast to quickly identify its potential target. This quadcopter-looking device uses a net as a gun, which it releases into the air via its high-energy, detachable rotors.

The Drone Interceptor takes off from a launching container, with a single pilot being capable of controlling several such systems. When used in its navigation mode, the Interceptor can be controlled just like a multicopter. When it switches into attack mode, it can be controlled just like a plane.

Equipped with a camera, the drone exterminator identifies a target and can quickly fly toward it to gather more data on it. That data is transmitted in real time to the operator. If the ground-based pilot decides the target has to be eliminated, the rotors of the interceptor start to accelerate and detach from the frame, while releasing the net fastening straps at the same time.

Once the net spreads in the air, it wraps around the target, blocking its rotors and taking it down. The Interceptor then descends using a parachute and emits a sound signal. According to its developer, the Drone Interceptor can be reused. You can watch the prototype in action in the video below.

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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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