Startup Claims It Can Secure Airspace by Controlling Rogue Drones

Hot on the heels of the latest in an ever-increasing slew of drone incidents, a tech startup claims it can detect and intercept unmanned vehicles.

With drones posing an ever-increasing threat to aviation safety, the race is on to protect airspace and passengers from unmanned aerial vehicles.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to reauthorize the powers of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), passing a bill that may see the FAA have an increased remit of protection with regards to drone attacks. A few days before this, a British Airways craft approaching London’s Heathrow Airport was involved in what UK authorities have deemed was a potential drone incident.

With both items in the forefront of public minds as well as those of industry insiders, the launch of startup SkySafe is timely. Co-founded by MIT graduate Grant Jordan, SkySafe is intended to help clients protect their airspace by identifying and, if need be, taking control of a rogue drone.

Speaking to The Verge about the startup’s launch, Jordan said, “We don’t just detect, we do the intercept side. We fully take control of the drone from the operator…and we can move it to a safe location and land it.”

While Jordan didn’t provide in-depth insight into how SkySafe helps clients to protect their space, it appears that the company is able to trick the drone into hijack mode, allowing for control of the device.

Drone manufacturers, however, are skeptical of these claims. Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics, commented to the website that, “I get asked about these ‘drone defense’ startups all the time…I haven’t seen any technology that can actually identify and block all drones.”

He added that the majority of drone misuse is “by operators who are more ill-informed than ill-intentioned.”

However, SkySafe and its main financial backer, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, are undaunted by criticism. They believe that their service could help high-security sites like prisons, power plants and airports to defend and protect their airspace.

But with drone technology evolving, the concern is that manufacturers may build devices that are impervious to detection and interception. Chris Dixon, the general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, admits that, “Like all security, it’s a cat and mouse game.”

[Screengrab, video via SkySafe]