Warsaw protester launches drone to spy on police, This one is for the Riggers, do it for the Hooders Options

[CanadianWolverin...]

This popped up on my radar recently.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/17/wars...-spy-on-police/

During protests in Warsaw last weekend, one crafty activist deployed a flying drone to spy on riot police.

YouTube user latajacakamera — or “flying camera” in Polish — uploaded the amazing video that the drone effortlessly captured as it hovered over teargas-filled streets.

In another video, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) floats in front of a formation of police in riot gear as they rush towards demonstrators. None of them appear to notice.

Wired editor-in-chief Chris Anderson confirmed that the flying machine was built by the Polish company Robokopter.

Watch this video from latajacakamera, uploaded to YouTube Nov. 12, 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vOor1xmVDs

Enjoy.

[stevebugge]

I misread the subtitle on the topic as "Do it for the Hooters" and was like now that's a plan I can get behind

[CanRay]

I misread the subtitle on the topic as "Do it for the Hooters" and was like now that's a plan I can get behind

Do it for both! And trust the slothead. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Seriously Mike]

Well, I wouldn't be so sure, Human Nation can put their drones in the air too. You never know when some hotheaded ork cop whacks the wrong guy over the head with a baton, right?

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

I'm impressed how high and far this chopper could go. Where can I buy one of these? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[nezumi]

You can check around online. They're a few thousand. The planes are even more impressive, and watching those videos are INCREDIBLE, although they're a little less handy for tactical data, since you can't just hover.

The other alternative is to build your own. I keep wanting to do it, but I know almost 0 electronics. My current hacking project is making a radio receiver. Maybe in a few more years (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[CanRay]

There's a number of RC Helicopters that can hover if you trail well enough with it. They'd also have enough lift to have a SmartPhone with a HD Camera mounted on the bottom or something. Or a battery and a Webcam running off a SmartPhone (Little heavier, but better HD Camera.).

...

OK, I just scared myself.

[ggodo]

Honestly I'm just glad other people think about this.

[hobgoblin]

There's a number of RC Helicopters that can hover if you trail well enough with it. They'd also have enough lift to have a SmartPhone with a HD Camera mounted on the bottom or something. Or a battery and a Webcam running off a SmartPhone (Little heavier, but better HD Camera.).

...

OK, I just scared myself.

a quadcopter with a bit of electronics should be able to self-stabiliz, no? Hell, give it a gps and some way to send it coordinates (a IM program may work, as it could stream video back to you at the same time) and it could be flown around using google maps or similar.

[CanRay]

Honestly I'm just glad other people think about this.

Think about it? That was off the top of my bloody head with no start-up!

[WhiskeyJohnny]

a quadcopter with a bit of electronics should be able to self-stabiliz, no? Hell, give it a gps and some way to send it coordinates (a IM program may work, as it could stream video back to you at the same time) and it could be flown around using google maps or similar.

The real trick, then, would be to get the information out to the other protesters (or your fellow runners, as the case may be) in real time, but in a secure fashion. The trouble there is you're trying to disseminate information publicly but securely. I don't know how you'd make sure that only the people you want can get on the VPN/however-you're-doing-it at that scale.

This, of course, assumes that the purpose of the drone was to provide information to the protesters. If it was simply documenting the occurrence then those aren't issues.

[hobgoblin]

Forward it to a public streaming site like ustream.tv and not care who see it perhaps?

[Psikerlord]

this is brilliant - huge range on it, from what I can tell. I want one!!

[Wakshaani]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Air-Hogs-Hawk-Ey...-Black/16487126

You can get them for $65 at the Wally, but it shouldn't be hard to track some down in the $50 range.

[CanRay]

Oh $Deity, my head hurts at all the concepts... And the problems that come with them.

'Course, my head hurts just by being conscious, so...

[Fix-it]

saw this earlier. a few caveats:

1: it's hardly "spying" the drone in question is not small, and is noisy as hell (not noisier than a riot, perhaps?)

2: flight time is measured in tens of minutes, not hours.

3: a a single camera doesn't provide the coverage needed to catch any police or protestor mischief, except by luck.

you can put one of these together yourself for a few hundered (USD), the main obstacle is flight time. power density just isn't there yet for modern batteries. you can use ICEs, but that makes you even louder.

[CanRay]

With a big enough budget, you could rotate a number around as they lose charge.

'Course, with a big enough budget, a lot is possible.

[Wakshaani]

With a big enough budget, you could rotate a number around as they lose charge.

'Course, with a big enough budget, a lot is possible.

A sufficiently advanced pile of cash is indestinguishable from magic.

[nezumi]

The real trick, then, would be to get the information out to the other protesters (or your fellow runners, as the case may be) in real time, but in a secure fashion. The trouble there is you're trying to disseminate information publicly but securely. I don't know how you'd make sure that only the people you want can get on the VPN/however-you're-doing-it at that scale.

If you're doing a runner team, there's few enough people to set up a VPN. However if it's a riot, I don't see any reason why you'd want to make it private. The police already know what they're doing.

If your only goal is to get an 'eye in the sky', it may also be feasible to run it off a tether (perhaps even using a modified glider/kite?) Then you strap on the cameras with zoom and you have basically indefinite 'flight' time.

[CanRay]

A sufficiently advanced pile of cash is indestinguishable from magic.

Actually, in a game of Star Wars D6, we proved it was more powerful than The Force. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[SecGuard]

Now i'm thinking of nipping up to the local RC model club and asking some questions.

[3278]

I can't encourage people enough to take a look around DIY Drones. Drone technology has come a long way in a very few years, so a lot of what's been said in this thread is out-dated. Check out some of the rigs some of the guys in the forums have; the possibilities will blow your mind. Translate all that into Shadowrun and you've got yourself a future.

I'm currently building a six-rotor semi-autonomous drone with a 17 kilometer operational radius and forward- and down-facing HD cameras. It's controlled over the 3G cellular network, and sends the forward view back the same way. The only parts I'm missing are the rotors, their motors, the batteries, the spines, the Arduino with a cellular "shield," and the two HD cameras. Other than that, dude, I am so there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[hobgoblin]

Actually, in a game of Star Wars D6, we proved it was more powerful than The Force. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Seems to echo what my gaming group is experiencing in the same game...

[Paul]

Funnily enough when we played the Star Wars Saga Edition it was a Droid that proved to be the most dangerous character of the group. Heh. I do like that DIY Drone site though! Inspiration!

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

I'm currently building a six-rotor semi-autonomous drone with a 17 kilometer operational radius and forward- and down-facing HD cameras. It's controlled over the 3G cellular network, and sends the forward view back the same way. The only parts I'm missing are the rotors, their motors, the batteries, the spines, the Arduino with a cellular "shield," and the two HD cameras. Other than that, dude, I am so there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

So, what exactly do you have? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)