DroneShield is Protecting NASCAR From Drones

rgMekanic

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TechCrunch is reporting that DroneShield is bringing it's anti-drone tech to NASCAR events at the Texas Motor Speedway. The Texas Motor Speedway will employ the DroneSentry, and DroneSentinal, while both are drone detecting, and targeting platforms, the DroneSentry adds the DroneCannon to the mix to disable drones from up to 1.5km away.

in addition they will be using the DroneGun, which is exactly what it sounds like, a rifle style GPS and RF jammer. While the jokes practically write themselves, I can certainly see why you would want to keep drones away from an event like a NASCAR race.

“We are proud to be able to assist a high-profile event like this,” said Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO, in an email announcing the news. “We also believe that this is significant for DroneShield in that this is the first known live operational use of all three of our key products – DroneSentinel, DroneSentry and DroneGun – by U.S. law enforcement.”
 
The first time they knock one out of the sky and anyone get's hurt. There will be a big law suit! Everybody like's to sue in this country. It does say in the video where legally allowed.
 
So how does this side step FCC regulations that dont allow active jamming of signals? Does NASCAR get special exemption?


I saw something for sale the other day that would block GPS signals to your cellphone when you were in your car. Not sure how it's legal, but I remember thinking I should buy one before they get shut down.
 
Mission: Record NASCAR race in its entirety via aerial drone.

Challenge level: Navigate solely via optical / inertial guidance.

Equipment provided: Small foam glider airframe; ARM-based SBC w/ 6-axis accelerometer, etc.; Go-Pro

[ACCEPT] / [reject]
 
Don't the media use drones to film these events? Hope they can tell the difference between friendly drones and ones that aren't--maybe install an IFF in the drones. This will just escalate the drones will start having anti-jamming tech and so on.
 
I build my own. I wonder what actual frequencies they can jam on? I can vary both control and video frequencies quite a bit. I fly em', so I don't need GPS
 
I saw something for sale the other day that would block GPS signals to your cellphone when you were in your car. Not sure how it's legal, but I remember thinking I should buy one before they get shut down.

If it's passive, it's ok (e.g. Faraday cage), if it's active it's not. There was someone busted awhile back for using one to prevent their work from tracking them.
 
Can't wait... This in from Talladega Speedway - Multiple spectators injured by falling drone debris one critically by the round used to take the drone down....
 
The only thing NASCAR need protection from is itself. FKN stages points sh*t just ruined it besides restricter plates. Talladega - By far the most interesting track, in an otherwise bland setup. They are all the same underneath the plastic body. I liked it when they used real cars aka death traps and qualified big block street motors.
 
So I guess I'll be the first to say you're late to the party. They ran TMS last weekend so this would have already happened... Maybe find an article stating how it went?
 
This is not about protecting drivers or spectators, they just don't want video devices being used to capture content to be used online for profit.
This is a cute belief.

These races are not ones that can afford random things potentially entering the race area. A dude doing 175mph can't just swerve around a drone that happens to fly too low. At the same time, legit camera copters and other sanctioned things are in the air, and we don't need drones crashing into that stuff. There's already drones interfering with important stuff and we don't need a drone hitting a helicopter over the stadium and having that plow into the stands.

Consumer-grade drones aren't even viable for recording a race. Races are multi-hour things. What's good flight time for a consumer drone? A half hour?
 
This is not about protecting drivers or spectators, they just don't want video devices being used to capture content to be used online for profit.

It can be both. Some 20 pound thing with whirling blades and batteries that tend explode if punctured falling out of the sky is not something I want to have to think about when I'm at an event (worry about snipers in nearby buildings is enough, thank you!).

Notice it says range in miles - if they did take out a drone it would be in the parking lot long before in the stadium unless someone smuggled one in. Oh yeah, all venues like this bag check so good luck with that. I suppose if you disassembled and spread out among a bunch of friends you could bypass - determination will win out. But if anyone gets hurt kiss your butt goodbye.

Ugh. If only people weren't stupid :/
 
Article says "by US law enforcement"

I don't get FCC regulations and the like, skip the BS and use #5 turkey shot.
"Today's headline: Bubba McKlursky wuz shot today while bonging a beer during lap 221 of the Texas Flintstone Truck Southern Comfort Special, by an attack drone that mistook the ultra-large funnel for a photography drone, because NASCAR has to prevent all that piracy and stuffs."
 
Don't the media use drones to film these events? Hope they can tell the difference between friendly drones and ones that aren't--maybe install an IFF in the drones. This will just escalate the drones will start having anti-jamming tech and so on.
I'm just waiting 'til they open up on the spectators filming with their phones... and they accidentally put MiniPuff on the drone instead...
 
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The only thing NASCAR need protection from is itself. FKN stages points sh*t just ruined it besides restricter plates. Talladega - By far the most interesting track, in an otherwise bland setup. They are all the same underneath the plastic body. I liked it when they used real cars aka death traps and qualified big block street motors.
Hey, Australian V8 Supercars and Touring Cars made it fast, safe, and good with door-slammers, and have done it for at least as long as WWECAR. .
 
Consumer-grade drones aren't even viable for recording a race. Races are multi-hour things. What's good flight time for a consumer drone? A half hour?
A consumer drone 5-10 minutes. A professional drone maybe 45 minutes at best. The main difference is the takeoff weight. Small consumer drones are 1-2kg. They cannot lift the equipment necessary for broadcast quality tv. Regardless I've never seen camera drones employed at official sporting events. They use "drones" suspended on cables that don't fall out of the sky if the signals get crossed or the battery dies.
 
I find it a little ironic that an organization with it's roots in moonshine running now has law enforcement protecting their profits from digital smugglers.
 
This just makes me want to build a flight controller that can defeat it. Maybe a highly directional antenna, combined with semi-autonomous control, visual odometry navigation, and a communications strategy that involves picking up transmissions intermittently while taking evasive maneuvers.
 
I find it a little ironic that an organization with it's roots in moonshine running now has law enforcement protecting their profits from digital smugglers.
There are a number of major corporations in the US that have a shady past.
"Law, Legal, right."
These words have no universal meaning. We just have to accept the fact that the most influential(rich) people will be deciding what they mean.
 
A consumer drone 5-10 minutes. A professional drone maybe 45 minutes at best. The main difference is the takeoff weight. Small consumer drones are 1-2kg. They cannot lift the equipment necessary for broadcast quality tv. Regardless I've never seen camera drones employed at official sporting events. They use "drones" suspended on cables that don't fall out of the sky if the signals get crossed or the battery dies.
Then there's this:
Yuneec-Q500-4k.jpg


45-55m flight, 4k, I'd say that's "broadcast quality"...

(yeah, yeah, shaddup)


I've seen big drones at futbol matches, racing (even F1) along with the wired floating cameras like at nfl games. With small 4k cams and decent batteries, they can last plenty long enough to get vid & allow a second one to get up & finish the job.
 
This just makes me want to build a flight controller that can defeat it. Maybe a highly directional antenna, combined with semi-autonomous control, visual odometry navigation, and a communications strategy that involves picking up transmissions intermittently while taking evasive maneuvers.
Comms freqs WAY off the regular bands they'll look for, plus some pre-programmed evasive maneuvers... Don't forget the self-destruct, either.
 
There are a number of major corporations in the US that have a shady past.
"Law, Legal, right."
These words have no universal meaning. We just have to accept the fact that the most influential(rich) people will be deciding what they mean.
Fuck. That. Shit.

Our law comes from English common law, and it's a civilizing influence that not only asserts but defines "civilization". When corps & 1%ers start skirting/defying/outright BREAKING the law, then #WeThePeople MUST assert that law, PERIOD.

Otherwise, yes: then we must give up calling ourselves "civilized human beings", and start killing each other off ahead of the next planet killer.

Then maybe someone else will get it right:

CcmIIGR.jpg
 
When I had cable, the speed channel had Rolex Racing Series with Mustangs, BMW, Beemers with the twisties. It can be more engaging than a fkn circle for a few hours too,
 
When I had cable, the speed channel had Rolex Racing Series with Mustangs, BMW, Beemers with the twisties. It can be more engaging than a fkn circle for a few hours too,
I can't stand a series where they have to stop racing if a fan spats a chaw onto the racing line, much less than that magical water from the air!
 
Consumer-grade drones aren't even viable for recording a race. Races are multi-hour things. What's good flight time for a consumer drone? A half hour?
A decently designed multirotor, you're looking at the better part of an hour.

An R/C glider platform on a clear, calm day, with a two mile asphalt loop to thermal off of? You could conceivably float that thing around from mid-morning to sunset.
 
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