Hovering drone could report for work at Miami-Dade police station

We didn't even flinch when we heard that hovering drones employed by Big Brother were going to work in the UK, but somehow those buggers have managed to wander over to America's east coast. Granted, the pilotless drones -- crafted with good intentions by Honeywell -- that are slated to report in to the Miami-Dade police department aren't exactly the same, but they are expected to be used for similar duties. More specifically, they'll be loosed in order to oversee "urban areas with an eye toward full-fledged employment in crime fighting." According to a department spokesman, the fuzz are only looking to use it in "tactical situations as an extra set of eyes," but don't be shocked to see flashing lights from a vehicle without wheels next time you're rolling (a little too) quick down South Beach.

[Brian @ Mar 26th 2008 10:04AM]

Nice...can I send this thing after my mother-in-law?

[linumax @ Mar 26th 2008 10:28AM]

No, but you can get yourself a crowbar, that'll defend you against all hovering drones and most mother in laws.

[hypereric @ Mar 26th 2008 11:05AM]

Nah... use a pellet gun from a hidden position, have a friend run off unseen with the gun and then get out and run under the falling drone. End of the drones being used because of the public outcry, and if you survive, you've hit the lawyer lottery.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants [and you might even get rich doing it!]"

[NovaLand @ Mar 26th 2008 1:14PM]

Make sure she doesn't have a shotgun and mistakes this drone for clay-pigeon!!

[haX0r @ Mar 26th 2008 10:08AM]

You are in the Matrix = Rise Against the Drones.

[FRZ @ Mar 26th 2008 11:15AM]

Here comes the sentinels making their rounds for signs of human life or as they say, trouble.

[PhilxBefore @ Mar 26th 2008 11:58AM]

I'm seeing Guilty Spark 343.

[NHAnimator @ Mar 26th 2008 10:09AM]

"tactical situations"

You mean like for rioting Miami Heat fans? Isn't that why we need the Governator up there in a chopper? ("Shoot them!")

Geez. The Running Man will never come to FOX if we send little robots up there to do his job.

[CosterMonger @ Mar 26th 2008 10:11AM]

this seems strangely familiar {MGS2?}

[Andrew @ Mar 26th 2008 10:14AM]

Look like the interrogation droids from Star Wars.

I bet they make good moving targets to practice shooting skills on too.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 26th 2008 10:20AM]

I think robots would make better police officers than humans.

Robots would shoot more accurately and eliminate friendly fire (on their part - not the criminal's) and they would be able to use sophisticated sensors to decide whether or not the target was armed...

...unlike your typical racist cop who shoots unarmed civilians because they look and dress a certain way.

A robot could decide whether someone's heart condition is in danger of being excited negatively by use of a taser.

[technophobe @ Mar 26th 2008 12:20PM]

last time i checked the role of police wasn't killing people, in the UK the average policeman is unarmed.

[kyle allen @ Mar 26th 2008 9:07PM]

@ Flashpoint.
i take it you haven't seen robocop

[pdwolfe @ Mar 26th 2008 10:14AM]

Deus Ex anyone...?(the game that is)

[engadgetier @ Mar 26th 2008 10:15AM]

I want one, I wanna spy on the people I hate, maybe, it will come with a lazar attachment! LAZARS FTW!

[Aaron212 @ Mar 26th 2008 10:15AM]

Reminds me of the show "Dark Angel" when they had those police hover drones

[d0n0van @ Mar 26th 2008 10:16AM]

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

[Kamokazi @ Mar 26th 2008 10:43AM]

"in their persons, houses, papers, and effects"

And this thing looks at people outside their homes (cameras are downward facing, would be very difficult, if not impossible, to look in most windows), and can see no more than a police officer could on their own, so you can quit worrying about your fourth amendment rights with this thing (especially when there are so many other ways the fourth amendment gets violated). It's designed to give a birds-eye view of several city blocks to help with riots or chases, not see what type of porno mag you buy and take into your mom's basement.

[iptydafu @ Mar 26th 2008 10:16AM]

Having grown up in Miami, I can tell you that these things won't be in the air long enough to bother anyone.

[Wham Bangplop @ Mar 26th 2008 10:43AM]

Kamikaze el-cheapo RC planes, anyone?

[Mojo_Yugen @ Mar 26th 2008 11:57AM]

Might as well just paint a big red bullseye on them an be done with it.

What's the limit on them? When does drone hunting season open?

[thon @ Mar 26th 2008 10:19AM]

That's an Imperial Probe droid alright!

[chris @ Mar 26th 2008 10:20AM]

wicked can i get one

[Ubuntu 7.10+WindowsXP @ Mar 26th 2008 10:25AM]

I have a feeling the real reason they are not going to use them in crime infested areas is that they will be shot down and/or stolen.

[TheChris @ Mar 26th 2008 10:29AM]

Annoying Half Life 2 saw drones anyone?

[7on @ Mar 26th 2008 1:12PM]

Pick up that can

[martin @ Mar 26th 2008 10:31AM]

yobs would tie kittens to them like they do on bonfire night. i dont know if they have bonfire night in america. i'll assume they do.

[Jack @ Mar 26th 2008 11:33AM]

I can assure you guy fawkes and his mates only tried to blow up the houses of parliment in the UK, so no, they dont, instead they have Independence Day (4th of july)

[Peter @ Mar 26th 2008 10:35AM]

the fuzz are only looking to use it in "tactical situations as an extra set of eyes,"


Yeah. To make sure the female sunbathers don't get too rowdy.

[Josh L @ Mar 26th 2008 10:36AM]

Stories about these sorts of pilotless drones patrolling some city's skyways always bring out the sensationalists and conspiricists (and people like d0n0van, who pull a non sequitur and quote the Constitution for no reason), but I've never seen how they're any different than having an officer patrolling the street or cruising around (or in this case, having a police chopper flying by).

These aren't equipped with some kind of mystical Superman X-Ray vision devices; they aren't watching you in your home. They're watching people on the streets, something any cop on the beat could do anyway. Nobody usually has a problem with being seen in public, except when being watched becomes slightly more efficient (drones, red light cameras, etc) and then the sky is falling.

[What Meworry @ Mar 26th 2008 10:46AM]

> ...they aren't watching you in your home...

Actually, they are (as are those police helicopters).

There are many cases of infrared being used to find internal-to-home unusual heat sources to target in-house marijuana growing.

[Josh L @ Mar 26th 2008 10:54AM]

@ What

In that case, I still don't see how this is somehow worthy of Chicken Little-style sensationalism and paranoia. As you said, this is something that is already happening. Now it's just happening remotely. If it wasn't a big deal before, why is it when a drone is involved?

[Yesme Worry @ Mar 26th 2008 11:19AM]

A quiet 22 inch tall drone can fit where a 30 foot long noisy helicopter cannot.

Since it CAN fit there, it WILL fit there - guaranteed.

Taking that drone down to ... ahem ... 500 feet (yeah, like that's the lowest it'll go, alrightee!) and, say, peeking into a horizontal blind that has been turned so only those ABOVE the blind can look in, is not an unusual extrapolation at all.

The FBI just got done admitting that those outrageous National Security Letters were totally abused because they could be. Guess what else is GUARANTEED to get abused?

[Spooge @ Mar 30th 2008 10:10AM]

Nice comments Josh! However, most people posting on here will never understand and will continue to believe the far out theories they are spouting. I don't mind these devices. I have nothing to hide and would prefer LEO's have an advantage when trying to enforce current laws.....

[Chris @ Mar 26th 2008 10:46AM]

I didn't see a cost there but I see that Honeywell is involved so I'm sure those things run about $350K a pop.

I wonder why they don't just use an RC helicopter with a camera on it? I'm sure if the Auto-pilot hardware/software can fly that thing it can surely handle an RC copter. There....I just saved the taxpayer $347K each.

[Kamokazi @ Mar 26th 2008 10:58AM]

These things can run an automated flight plan and are much more durable and reliable than a RC helicopter. This has actually been featured on Future Weapons and was originally military equipment.

[Nick @ Mar 26th 2008 10:46AM]

I wonder how many people would use those as target practice?

[aaron @ Mar 26th 2008 10:50AM]

All your base are belong to us.

[Dean @ Mar 26th 2008 10:53AM]

I saw the "Hovering drone could report for work at Miami police station" and looked at the image and instantly got a mental picture of the empty city square in the beginning of half life 2. def has a combine camerabot feel to it

[max654000 @ Mar 26th 2008 10:55AM]

Very nice! Hope someone don't shoot it down.

[JC @ Mar 26th 2008 11:00AM]

I work for HW, and this has been in development the aerospace division for a long time.

Video here:
http://www.honeywell.com/sites/portal?smap=aerospace&page=mav_video&theme=T8

[kenth Fagerlund @ Mar 26th 2008 11:02AM]

I, for one, welcome our new hovering overlords

[Rob @ Mar 26th 2008 11:09AM]

These things sound cool, only if they weren't being used for sinister purposes by governments, including our very own U.S. of A.

[CorporateWhore @ Mar 26th 2008 11:10AM]

What's the date? Surely an early April fool joke?

[Steve_S @ Mar 26th 2008 11:11AM]

And expect these to be used for target practice.

[pixelcult @ Mar 26th 2008 2:08PM]

They have a 10,500ft flight ceiling. Good luck trying to hit that.

[Jon Doe. @ Mar 26th 2008 11:13AM]

Didn't I see this thing in Empire Strikes Back? Hopefully they didn't put a self destruct device in it.

[Jeff Jones @ Mar 26th 2008 11:13AM]

Even as a cop that scares me

[Pauly @ Mar 26th 2008 11:14AM]

The fact that only licensed pilots will be operating these drones is not any more comforting.
http://www.robotliving.com/2008/01/01/drones-over-miami/

[Teck @ Mar 26th 2008 11:21AM]

HAHA, they stole Snake's Cypher... snake, Snake SNAKE!!!