U.K. car theft suspect arrested by robot helicopter
Merseyside’s $62,000 crime-fighting drone measures about a meter across and is powered by batteries that drive four carbon-fiber rotors; the drone can be controlled from about 500 meters away, but it can also be instructed to “perch and stare”’ from hidden platforms along roadsides
U.K. Police have boasted the Kingdom’s first arrest by UAV — in this case, a remote-controlled helicopter. Nicknamed the flying saucepan, the $62,000 crime-fighting drone measures about a meter across and is powered by batteries that drive four carbon-fiber rotors. On board: an array of detection devices including a surveillance camera with thermal imaging and night vision capability.
The drone was deployed by Merseyside police to pursue a suspected car thief, who fled on foot after his vehicle was stopped by officers. The suspect was arrested after being found under a bush by the robot chopper’s thermal imaging cameras.
The drones can be controlled from about 500 meters away, but they can also be instructed to “perch and stare”’ from hidden platforms along roadsides.
