Drone Surveillance

Law enforcement agencies have been among the many public service and business entities that have used drones to improve their operations, but police in Pittsburgh are reportedly still sitting on a $62,000 unused UAV investment due to concerns about negative public reaction to the craft.

Russian drones, which help target Ukrainian troops, are being manufactured using Western technology and parts from around the world. This is a claim that Ukraine has put forward after stripping down a surveillance drone it captured from Russia.

Grambling State University, a historically Black college in northern Louisiana, has announced that it is starting drone patrols on the campus. According to Police Chief Rod Demery, security drones will help his department get a better view of the events on campus.

Leading European maritime drone surveillance and data collection company TEKEVER has announced its partnership with global shipping giant Scorpio in an effort to accelerate deployment of UAVs for security and other operations above the seas.

Reversing a position it took last year, Canada’s government says it is sending cutting-edge surveillance cameras for use on Turkish military drones in armed conflict ­– this time in Ukraine.

The shooting of five Arizona police officers by an assailant barricaded in a house have prompted renewed calls from officials in Phoenix to equip law enforcement forces with drones, whose remote surveillance capabilities can inform cops of hidden dangers facing them.

About 50 tons of floating debris – plastics, wood, cardboard, organic material, mooring lines – are collected every year from the docks in Belgium’s port of Antwerp. Not only does this waste pollute the waters, but it also has an impact on biodiversity and can cause damage to ships. This is why port authorities are now turning to drones to detect and clean up the debris as soon as possible.

More countries are looking to follow the lead of UK cities that have deployed drones in an effort to identify, punish, and ultimately deter people responsible the surging problem of illegal dumping in public areas.

The Dallas Police Department has said it will be increasing its use of drones in response to certain emergencies and criminal situations, as well as in investigations of open cases.

The introduction of drones in monitoring fishing fleets in Iceland has uncovered a far vaster occurrence of the illicit, environmentally damaging practice of dumping unwanted catches back into the ocean than officials had suspected.

Police officials in the Pacific island nation of Fiji are fighting mad over a downed surveillance drone they say was put out of commission by a jamming device used by illegal pot farmers – not coincidentally because it was looking for signs of illegal pot farming.

Located in Scotland, the magnificent River Dee is one of the most famous salmon rivers in the world. But as popular as the 100% “Catch and Release” river is with anglers, it has been notoriously targeted for years by poachers who remove the fish illegally. So now, drones have been brought in to catch the criminals.

As seashores start to get packed with sun-worshippers, a coastal town in northeastern Spain is using drones to monitor beach crowds in real time. The drone trials in Sitges come at a time when COVID-19 cases are rising dramatically across Spain.

South Africa’s largest private security provider has begun a pilot program in the suburbs of Johannesburg to use drones to prevent burglaries and locate criminals faster.

You’ve no doubt heard of Spot, the Boston Dynamics robot that looks vaguely like a dog. And you’ve likely heard of drones being used for security purposes. Now… what it you put both these technologies together?

The Australian Navy could soon be using helicopter drones to keep an eye on things, as it furthered Project Sea 129 earlier this week. The Australian Navy has shortlisted companies into the next round, with Northrop Grumman and Leonardo Australia being chosen.

Easy Aerial, a company that specializes in drone-in-a-box solutions tailored for inspection, monitoring, and surveillance has announced a new COO. Pilot Timothy T. Tenne – who has a pretty impressive background with the FAA and the Air Force – is taking on the position. And he’ll be busy.

Israeli computer vision company AnyVision has recently filed a patent that will allow drones to locate and identify people easily from the air. The patent covers how the technology will allow the drone to adjust its position to see faces clearly.

A new surveillance drone will be deployed by the Canadian Coast Guard in trials funded by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). Kongsberg Geospatial has been selected as the firm to oversee the tests, which involve MartinUAV’s innovative V-BAT drone.

Autonomous surveillance and inspection drone company Azur Drones has tested its Skeyetech drone-in-a-box at the Orano La Hague nuclear fuel site in France. The drones will aid the security and surveillance team currently deployed at the site.

Being an avid drone pilot myself, I always wonder what the current “video surveillance” system would be like if drones were used. If this were a real thing today, how would it work?