Core77
e
Watch a Tokyo Police Drone Capture Another Drone in Flight
Robotech it ain't
By Rain Noe - Dec 14, 2015
While Amazon is working on drones to deliver packages, Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department needs drones that will capture packages. Specifically, other drones. Last April an unauthorized drone was found on the roof of the Japanese Prime Minister's residence, and because of its payload—radioactive soil from the Fukushima disaster—it was classified as a terrorist incident. Since then the MPD has been seeking ways to intercept unauthorized drones in-flight; now, according to Japan's Asahi Shimbun, they have it.
Artist's Rendering
Artist's Rendering 
Artist's Rendering 
Okay fine, so this is what it really looks like.Perhaps I grew up watching too much anime, because I picture a Japanese Interceptor Drone having all sorts of wicked lasers, retractable claw arms or little missiles that leave cool, twisty smoke trails. But the MPD has the concern of not wanting an intercepted drone to tumble to earth, potentially injuring those below, so they've come up with something a bit more mundane:
This month they'll deploy the first unit, which will reportedly be tended by remote pilots working in shifts to provide 24-hour-a-day service. By February, having presumably worked out the kinks, the MPD will increase the fleet size to ten, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.
Watching the video above, it occurs to me that the future is never as cool as you think it's going to be. I guess it will be a while yet before we'll see flight interceptions like the ones from Robotech.
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
Continued Reading
-
By Rain Noe - Dec 11, 2015
Stunning "Reality Editor" Lets You Connect…Everything
MIT Media Lab's clever interface lets users map digital interfaces onto physical objects
The world is already filled with smart people designing and building smart, web-connected objects. But most of these things are siloed off into their own apps, meant to be operated independently of one another. But now a research team at MIT Media Lab led by Valentin Huen, a PhD candidate
-
By Alexandra Alexa - Dec 09, 2015
Silicon City: Computer History Made in New York
We venture to guess that most people wouldn't jump to name New York as a central hub of the technological era, but as the New York Historical Society (NYHS) exhibition "Silicon City" demonstrates, the forebears of the modern computer were working on the East Coast rather than the West. Through
-
By Core Jr - Dec 09, 2015
Sponsored Post: Meaningful Innovation at Autodesk University 2015
Notes from Autodesk's leadership on the shape of things to come
Autodesk University 2015 wrapped up in Las Vegas last week with more than 700 sessions and nearly 10,000 attendees—not to mention dancers, a DJ and a parade of Stormtroopers straight out of Star Wars. Opening speakers, including Carl Bass, Autodesk President and CEO, and Chief Technology Officer Jeff Kowalski, noted
-
By Rain Noe - Dec 09, 2015
Too Good to be True? Crowdfunded Sneakers Wrapped in Flexible Displays
ShiftWear's kicks will supposedly be wrapped in an e-paper display—but there's no prototype
Here's a crowdfunding campaign that merits skepticism—yet has netted $350,000 on a $25,000 goal. Are backers being had? A startup called ShiftWear claims they can produce sneakers wrapped in a flexible HD display that can change patterns on the fly. They're saying they'll be ready by next year, and here's
K
{Welcome
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
K
Reset Password
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.
