SkySafe introduces technology to protect people and places against drone threats
US-based startup SkySafe has introduced new technology which it claims can “protect people and places from drone threats”. In a statement issued on its blog on Wednesday (2o April), SkySafe said: “Our goal is to help drones be a positive change in society, by improving safety, management, and coordination. We’re building the tools to let facilities properly control and protect their airspace. Our system detects, identifies, tracks, and takes action when needed.
“Whether it’s airports, prisons or critical infrastructure, our system helps to secure the area, allowing the safe operation of authorized drones and stopping dangerous ones.”
The SkySafe system consists of a series of nodes which continuously scan the coverage area looking for the specific signals that drones emit. When the system detects a drone, it alerts the user – and the appropriate action can be taken. The system can detect specific drones, so the user can “whitelist” drones which have clearance to fly in the area. If a drone is flying in an area where it shouldn’t be, the SkySafe technology can use radio frequency signals to bring the drones to the ground.
Headed by founder and CEO Grant Jordan, the SkySafe team comes from “the security research community, MIT, and the military”.
SkySafe also used its Wednesday blog post to announce that it has raised seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz.
The SkySafe announcement is a timely one – on Sunday (17 April) a plane coming into landing at London’s Heathrow had a collision with what the pilot believed to be was a drone. There have been several near-misses in London’s skies, but this was believed to be the first time that a Heathrow-bound plane has actually been hit by a drone.
