Popular_Science_Australia_November_2016

The majority of hobbyist
drones - from the DJI
Phantom 4 down to a Parrot
minidrone- are harmless.
Then there are the flame-
throwing ones that star
on YouTube. The SkyWall
100 shoulder-mounted net
launcher is law enforcement’s

best bet for grounding those

malicious fliers. The gun,

which uses auto-aiming

software to lock onto targets

up to 100 metres away, can

fire three types of projectile

nets: one that captures the

drone, one with a parachute

to lower it to the ground, and

one that also jams the craft’s

electronics. It can nab drones

flying as fast as 37 km/h and

weighing up to three kilos

(twice a DJI Phantom 4). In a

recent demo for the US Army,

SkyWall hit targets in 10 out

of 11 shots. Sorry, backyard

commandos: This one’s only

for professionals.

OPENWORKS ENGINEERING

SKYWALL 100

The Drone

Catcher

48 POPULAR SCIENCE