A Drone Killer App Could Be the Next Big Thing

For drone enthusiasts and hobbyists alike, there are a lot of great apps available to help make your flying experience better. Some of these help with planning and flight, others can improve your photo editing skills. However, there are a handful of applications that can make your drone operation more dangerous. One of these is a so-called “drone killer app,” designed to disable or destroy unauthorized drones in your area. While these apps aren’t yet available for general consumers, they could become the next big thing in a world that is already awash in both civilian and military drones.

Among the best apps for drones, Litchi is a powerful program that can help pilots create dynamic flight paths and capture beautiful aerial footage. Its autonomous tracking feature is particularly useful for shooting complex sequences or for navigating challenging terrain. Meanwhile, Flightradar24 is a useful app that shows live air traffic on the maps, providing crucial information about what’s going on above you.

Another popular app for drones is Guardian, which provides a number of key safety data that helps users to operate their vehicles safely and responsibly. The free software supplements normal due diligence by showing no-fly zones, ground hazards and privacy risks on a map for a number of countries around the world, and can be downloaded on iOS or Android devices.

A more sinister application for drones is the DRONEKILLER, a portable device that can quickly neutralize UAVs by disrupting their GPS signals or electronic signatures. The system is half the size of other handheld counter-drone weapons, and its built-in batteries last up to two hours in active mode and six hours in sensor mode. It can also be mounted on Picatinny smart rails, further reducing its overall weight.

Sweden has a low cardiac arrest survival rate, largely due to long response times and lack of access to onsite automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Andreas Claesson, chairman of the country’s Resuscitation Council, wanted to find an easy way for first responders to deliver AEDs to the scene of an incident. This led to his idea for an app that would turn smartphones into mobile AEDs, triggered by a dispatcher’s alert indicating that the patient has suffered a sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

The app uses the magnetometer sensors in a phone to detect magnetic fields. It then activates the drone’s onboard cameras and transmits a video feed back to its operator. It can be used for fun, or even to spy on your friends’ activities. The creators of the app say they want to see people use it for more serious purposes, and they’ve released a version that’s been customized to look like a police car. The team behind the DRONEKILLER is working to release a professional-grade system that can be deployed by law enforcement agencies. It’s expected to be cheaper and faster than sending troops into the field. It may even replace traditional gun-based counter-drone technology. But, as with most dual-use military tech, there’s a risk that someone will eventually exploit it for evil.