Chapter 3

DRONES

3.1 What are Drones?

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft

without a human pilot aboard. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system
(UAS); which include a UAV, a ground-based controller, and a system of
communications between the two. The flight of UAVs may operate with various degrees
of autonomy: either under remote control by a human operator or autonomously by
onboard computers.

Compared to manned aircraft, UAVs were originally used for missions too dull, dirty or
dangerous for humans. While they originated mostly in military applications, their use is
rapidly expanding to commercial, scientific, recreational, agricultural, and other
applications, such as policing, peacekeeping, and surveillance, product deliveries, aerial
photography, agriculture, smuggling, and drone racing. Civilian UAVs now vastly
outnumber military UAVs, with estimates of over a million sold by 2015, so they can be
seen as an early commercial application of autonomous things, to be followed by
the autonomous car and home robots.

3.2 Classification of Drones

UAVs typically fall into one of six functional categories:

1. Target and decoy – providing ground and aerial gunnery a target that simulates an
enemy aircraft or missile.
 2. Reconnaissance – providing battlefield intelligence.

3. Combat – providing attack capability for high-risk missions (see unmanned

combat aerial vehicle).

4. Logistics – delivering cargo.

5. Research and development – improve UAV technologies.

6. Civil and commercial UAVs – agriculture, aerial photography, data collection.

3.3 Uses of Drones

1. Perimeter Control

Drone security teams protecting large areas of property can patrol the perimeter of a
property with an infrared camera on a drone. Some drone security teams are utilizing
fixed wing drones to fly large perimeters instead of having the team walk the perimeter.
Thermal imaging cameras can spot a trespasser immediately.

2. Facilities Security Inspections

Drones can monitor areas of property that have never patrolled before such as a roof.
Ground security cameras in a fixed position can lead to blind spots. Thanks to a drone’s
ability to move, security teams can search around corners and get a closer look to avoid
blind spots.

3. Monitoring Intruders

If a security team does find an intruder on the property, often times its very easy to lose
sight of the trespasser if they hide behind trees. With a thermal imaging camera, your
drone pilot can continue monitoring the location of the intruder easily.

4. Prison Security
Prison guards can monitor the yard more efficiently and safely with the assistance of a
drone. A monitor can send a drone to an area if a fight breaks out to assess the situation.

5. Drone Security for Parking Lots

Prisons and other institutions can monitor cars that enter their parking lots through the
use of a drone. Drones will give security teams a new tool to keep out contraband,
intruders and other problems.

6. Stopping Trespassers from Vandalizing Property

Security drones can help identify trespassers who hope to vandalize property. The
presence of a drone security camera may also make trespassers think twice about entering
your facility.

7. Securing Large Infrastructure

Security teams fro wind farms and pipelines can use drones to protect large infrastructure.
If a company patrols an area with vehicles at night, the headlights easily let intruders
know the security team is arriving and give them a chance to hide. With a drone, security
teams have a better chance to sneak up on an intruder.

8. Protecting Cultural Landmarks

Security drones can help security guards monitor and protect people and exhibits at open-
air museums. UAVs can help guard historic artifacts and the people admiring them.

9. Monitoring Stadiums and Concert Venues

Currently, the FAA does not allow drones to be flown over stadiums when they are in
use. There may be potential to apply for a waiver to use the drone during the event, but if
not drones can also be used for security in the offseason or on days when the stadium is
not being used. Drones can protect a stadium or concert venue. Drone security teams can
patrol parking lots before, back entrances, and large venues during and after events.

10. Campus Security

With small budgets on many campuses, drones can provide a more safe environment
thanks to drone technology. Drones can be deployed to areas that have become trouble
spots, giving staff more eyes despite having fewer bodies. They might also be able to
reach destinations quicker than a security guard can.

11. Loss Prevention for Dock Yards

Security drones can patrol a dock yard for loss prevention, monitoring deliveries and
movement. They could also help with border protection at ports.

12. Intercepting Poachers

Drones can stop poachers by helping guide animals out of danger or recording poachers’
actions. Farms and refuges can send out a drone to monitor poachers entering an area.

13. Protecting Live Stock

Poaching isn’t the only agriculture issue drones can help with concerning security. An
unmanned aerial vehicle patrolling a ranch or farm could make owners aware of
approaching predators.

14. Border Security

Drones can help with several areas of border security. First, they can deter drug
smuggling through their monitoring capabilities. Secondly, they can help countries with
borders along water spot people coming in on small water craft.

15. Security for Hundreds of Acres

Drones can patrol large land areas that aren’t bordered by walls and fences. This can
lower a company’s need for manpower to perform those operations.

16. Protecting Embassies and Consulates

Drones could be used to help secure foreign embassies and consulates. Security teams
could monitor the surroundings better than with a camera in a fixed position.
3.4 How Are UAVs Being Used In The Security Industry?

For Businesses

In May 2015, Japanese security company, Secom, debuted a UAV during the
International Drone Expo that is targeted for business security. The drone features a high-
definition camera and several sensors, and can link with an intrusion detection system
that sends beams of laser light along the perimeter of a secure space. When the detector
senses motion, the drone automatically takes off from a nearby charging station to
investigate.

The UAV will be initially offered to businesses in Japan operating on large areas of land
such as shopping malls and supermarkets. Secom will offer the machines on a monthly
rental basis to enterprise users as part of existing security services, which include
traditional intrusion alarms and security guards.

Japan has yet to formulate comprehensive rules on UAV usage, so it likely we will see a
lot of early use cases coming from there. With that said, now that the FAA has loosened
some of the restrictions on civil and commercial use of UAVs, it is likely we will begin to
see more and more businesses adopting UAVs for security in the United States in the
next year or two.

For Homes

If you thought that current wireless home security systems were about as good as it gets,
think again. It is expected that drones will be the future of smart home security. Home
drones could allow owners to have their own private drone that can be activated when an
unauthorized entry is made, either automatically, or if preferred, when told to.

Below is a description of one startup company’s smart drone that is being developed for
home use.

The Sunflower Home Awareness System™ combines outdoor sensors with an aerial
camera for a complete view of what’s going on around your home. Sunflower Smart
Lights™ learn your property's routines, deterring unwanted visitors with light and sound.
When there’s unusual activity, the Smart Lights work with the Sunflower Flying
Camera™ to identify what's happening.
 According to Ingenious Security Products, “Home security companies that are first to
market will most likely offer the home drone at no upfront cost, choosing instead to
amortize the cost over the term of the user’s contract, adding it to their monthly
monitoring charge. If you already have a wireless home security system, expect the home
drone to be available through select dealers as an added feature to your existing system.”

Some other companies that are using or developing drones for physical security for home
and/or business include:

 Amba Defence
 First Security Systems
 Skysense
 Aeryon SkyRanger

For Personal Security

Another concept being developed is the use of pocket drones with personal security
features. These pocket-sized drones could hover over you as you’re walking, capturing
everything below on camera. The idea is that a drone that is hovering over you at an
altitude of 20 feet could act as a deterrent to a potential attacker. It could also potentially
pursue an assailant and capture identifying information. To prevent someone from
stealing or operating the drone themselves, the control device could have a built-in
biometric scanning system.

Researchers and some companies have recently developed drones or received patents for
drones that can easily be carried in your pocket or worn on your wrist. These include:

 Amazon has patented pocket-sized, voice controlled drones

 Robotics researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology develop a foldable
mini-drone
 Researchers at University of Pennsylvania built the smallest self-powered controllable
drone weighing in at 2.5 grams and the size of a quarter.

How it works:
1 First of all sensors are deployed all over the premises of the house.

2 Sensor’s locations are feeded to the drone, and the sensors as well as the drone are
connected to a centralized system in the house which has a stable network connectivity.

3 The drone works on the algorithm that it can detect people accurately no matter how
may are there.
4 When a person walks by the sensor it gives an alert on the registered device that
unknown motion has been detected at the particular location and the user can tell the
drone to have a look.
5 After that the drone will go to the location where unknown motion has been caught
autonomously.
6 The user will have the look whether the person is identifiable or not. If not the user will
have the option to call the nearest police station.

7 Then the drone will return to its resting placing autonomously.