Dutch Police Train Bald Eagles To Take Out Drones 137
Qbertino writes: Heise.de (German article) reports that the Dutch police is training raptor birds — bald eagles, too — to take down drones. There's a video (narrated and interviewed in Dutch) linked in TFA. It's a test phase and not yet determined if this is going real — concerns about the birds getting injured are among the counter-arguments against this course of action. This all is conducted by a company called "Guard from above," which designs systems to prevent smugling via drones. The article also mentions MTU's net-shooting quadcopter concept of a drone-predator. Of course, there are also 'untrained' birds taking out quadcopters, as you might have seen already.
Smugling? (Score:5, Funny)
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No. They are only using them on criminals and terrorists.
How they determine that before they set off on a mission is anyone's guess.
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Once upon a time there used to be a toy called 'lawn jarts'.
And children rode bicycles without pads or helmets, when they weren't riding en masse to something in the back of pickup trucks.
Child abuse was rampant... 10, 11, and 12 year old children were routinely left alone after school at home.
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I was thinking more like there was a "flying Dutchman" joke in there somewhere, but I like what you are thinking.
How Anti-American... (Score:2)
bald eagles, too (Score:3)
You do realize, if I am not mistaken, that bald eagles are raptors, so "too" is a bit redundant. Maybe "including"?
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timothy saw Jurassic Park, and is imagining that velociraptors are chasing down drones for sport.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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The original submission did say "including", but Slashdot has a style manual that requires replacing that with "too".
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Slashdot has a style manual
Slashdot has a style manual? Next you'll be telling me that TIMMAY!! is an actual journalist.
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The original submission did say "including", but Slashdot has a style manual that requires replacing that with "too".
That makes it sound like slang, to me. Or an insult:
"Some of the world's greatest actors, including William Shatner..."
"Some of the world's greatest actors - William Shatner, too - ..."
-
Great. Now "too" no longer looks like a word to me. That's going to take a while to shake off.
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[clears throat] It's about the bald eagles... Since you were frozen, they've been placed on the endangered species List. We tried to get some, but it will take months to clear up the red tape.
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"What do we have?"
"Bald.... Spatzies."
"right......"
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I think it's meant to be a slang, emphatic form.
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Bald eagles, not (Score:2)
Probably not really bald eagles. Bald eagles are not native to Europe and the Google Translate version of the article does not seem to mention bald eagles.
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I once saw a golden eagle do this. It was while I was rafting the Rogue River. There were a couple of osprey harassing the eagle and as it flew down the river about 50 feet above me one of the osprey was stooping on it with talons outstretched. As the osprey got close the eagle barrel rolled on its back, presented its twice as big talons to the osprey and the osprey veered off, all about 100 feet from me. A memory I will never forget.
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The osprey wasn't after the eagle for food. It was in the spring and the two osprey probably had a nest nearby and they were harassing the eagle to protect it.
It's never too early to train your allies... (Score:3)
Release a net (Score:2)
Re:Release a net (Score:5, Funny)
If they're doing that, they might as well teach the birds to fly upside down underneath the drones, unscrew the access panel and rewire the electronics to operate on a radio frequency used by the cops so they gain control over it.
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If they're doing that, they might as well teach the birds to fly upside down underneath the drones, unscrew the access panel and rewire the electronics to operate on a radio frequency used by the cops so they gain control over it.
They are birds not Border Collies.
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Then we'll have to build the anti-anti-anti-drone drone!
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But then the drone operators will get drone buster busters....
Gnarly (Score:2)
This is like the future of the 1980's cartoons finally coming true.
Now we know what the vulture was for! (Score:3)
In previous news in slashdot, an alleged Israeli spy vulture was caught by Lebanon.
The Israelis claimed this was ridiculous, that it was just an innocent bird.
But now we know the truth: the vulture was really out to get Lebanese drones!
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The video shows several take downs of a DJI, and guys claim the bird claws are rugged enough to handle that.
I would get worried about the birds if they would do this on a heavy multicopter with carbon props. The interview mentions that they are looking into extra protection for the claws.
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"Myth" Confirmed (Score:2, Informative)
Having been severely cut by my own carelessness with my DJI Phantom; I'll have to say myth confirmed.
Those "small" plastic propellers cut the fuck out of me! I would not allow a bird or other animal (some dogs love chasing drones) to come in contact with a drone.
Larger carbon fiber blades will be much worse.
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There was a fatality from a RC helo a couple years ago.
It was a big helo, and the owner flew it up to himself to grab it. One day apparently something happened and he cut the top of his own head open with it.
I predict they will lose or injure too many birds and the project will be stopped.
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I [accidentally] flew my SK450 into a cactus and it cut the living shit out of it. Small plastic propellers might not hurt people, but 1045s will.
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> Well, you probably shouldn't because even a small drone like the DJI Phantom will slice up or shred the birds legs on contact,
Sounds like a terrible legal liability if you really think about it. It makes the requirement for licensing and insuring these drones seem remarkably less absurd.
Either these devices are "harmless" enough to be taken down by a raptor or they shouldn't even be allowed in the air.
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How about training the birds to carry something in their talons that they can drop on the drone? Maybe a loose ball of string or something that would gunk up the drones props.
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maybe just train the birds to do the smuggling so there's no need for the drones.
this sounds like a pretty expensive way compared to say just putting up a net over the prison - or just using cheaper drones to crash into the intruders.
furthermore, if someone wanted to counter this then they could switch to more rugged props..
it would just be better to have other drones with wires hanging off them or similar.
You've got to hand it to the Dutch (Score:3)
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Tell me about it. They've out American'd the Americans. What's the solution in the freedom country? Shoot the things out the sky with a healthy dose of the second amendment. The Dutch's answer? Take it out with the animal personification of freedom itself.
Oh, sure, they'll take out drones... (Score:5, Funny)
...but they STILL won't fly Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom. Damn you, Eagles!
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Yeah, because all the eagles are good for is a glorified taxi service right?
Wahhhh, eagles where were you when I needed you?
Tell me, where is the story about anyone ever doing anything for the eagles? sheesh....
aren't foam RC planes easier than bald eagles? (Score:2)
Are these eagles to be permanently "deployed" , living in the wild in border areas, or cared for and transported by staff?
If humans need to be involved each time , it seems like a "foamie" RC plane (with automatic stabilization) would be easier to handle than an eagle. Crashing into the drone would sometimes wreck the $25 foam body.
Versus (Score:2)
I am adding this under the Bird vs. Robot category in my list of versus:
https://docs.google.com/spread... [google.com]
What is it with Europeans and Bald Eagles? (Score:1)
Bald Eagles are native to North America. They simply don't exist in the wild anywhere else.
In the United States they were endangered most of my life (until about 10 years ago), and still to this day it is illegal to "own" one in captivity except under certain very rare circumstances. Usually, it has to be injured in some way which would physically prevent it from living in the wild.
In short, Bald Eagles should be wild. Combine that with them being a symbol of the USA, and a great many Americans find it o
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Not only is it illegal to keep a bald eagle in captivity but it's also illegal to possess eagle feathers unless you are a native American using them in your cultural expression.
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Combine that with them being a symbol of the USA
And how do the Native American tribes for whom the bald eagle is sacred feel about that?
Your point about keeping endangered should-be-wild animals was perfectly valid, but I think you did it a real disservice by playing the "offended!" card.
Another example is English Premiere League club Crystal Palace, which has a live Bald Eagle "mascot" [dailymail.co.uk].
Kayla was stolen from the wild as a chick, recovered, and released back into the wild, but her lack of a natural upbringing left her unable to hunt naturally (she stole food from humans instead). Long story short, she ended up at the Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation in
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And how do the Native American tribes for whom the bald eagle is sacred feel about that?
Well, I also happen to be Osage myself. I can't speak for the entire tribe, and certainly not for all tribes, but I personally look at it as showing the proper respect. Which is kind of a nice switch from the usual American attitude toward tribal sensitivities.
When you are appropriating something from another culture, context means everything. If you do it in a supportive and respectful way, it can be a huge plus for both sides. Thus laws like the prohibition on owning "pet" Eagles serve a dual purpose. B
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Evidently, it is not rare enough circumstances to prevent this [youtube.com] particularly egregious fucktardery, which also shows that some of the most "patriotic" 'Murkans have no problem with it at all.
But I do agree...just leave them the fuck alone.
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Actually, if you read the text around that video, that was a WILD bald eagle that flew in through an open window. I happen to live about a mile and a half from that particular chapel, and yes we do have wild Bald Eagles here. Usually I only see juveniles on the utility poles behind my house, but I understand there are some adults over near the river (and that chapel happens to be smack dab between my house and the river).
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Sorry, but no, you're wrong. Here's another video [youtube.com] of the event showing the handlers and the pastor announcing the eagle's arrival and that it was being released from the balcony. "Eagle flying in the Chapel window" should read "into the Chapel window".
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Ah, well that is indeed a bird of a different feather then. Even with a non-releasable Eagle, releasing that poor bird into an enclosed space filled with people is just not acceptable. That trainer will be smoking a turd in 'murica hell for that one.
OTOH, here's another Bald Eagle [youtube.com] showing it still has the proper American spirit. A true American, that bird.
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Heh...actually I'm not sure which constitutes worse animal abuse: releasing the eagle in the Chapel, or putting one in same room as Trump.
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Cane toads are native to America. There are a bajillion of them in Australia. Would you please come and collect them, we don't want them and it apparently upsets you that animals have been moved to new locations.
As for the birds, what about the ones that were born and raised in captivity. What should we do with those? Euthanise or let out into the wild to starve?
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what about the ones that were born and raised in captivity. What should we do with those?
It happens. What usually should happen in this case is that the Eagle is taken care of by one of our Eagle Rescue organizations [wikipedia.org], and whoever caused it to have to be raised that way (if it was purposely done by a human) is thrown in jail and charged with a felony.
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WTF? Why? If there is a bird that was born in captivity in say France, from parents that were born in captivity also in France why the hell should that bird have anything to do with people in the US? Let alone being some random american crime?
If someone has a pet kangaroo that they raised in the UK should I be getting wound up? They are on my coat of arms after all, just like the Bald Eagle. An NO other country has them naturally which cannot be said about the bird.
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Cane toads are native to America. There are a bajillion of them in Australia. Would you please come and collect them, we don't want them and it apparently upsets you that animals have been moved to new locations.
We tried, but weirdly enough no Native American tribes wanted to claim them as majestic spirit animals. That left us trying to raise awareness by cute youtube videos of cane toads snuggling with fluffy blankies, but they kept losing popularity to videos of puppies, kittens, and piglets. We just can't seem to raise enough angst over the plight of expatriate cane toads to buy any senators to put a bill through. It's a sad day for the fate of 'Murican cane toads worldwide.
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Cane toads are native to the tropical areas of South and Central America. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of the native peoples there consider them a sacred creature. But you'd have to talk to them.
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I don't read Dutch, but if you view the linked video, it's clear that whatever kind of eagle they're using, it's not a bald eagle.
I don't read Dutch either but the second eagle is clearly a Bald Eagle. The first eagle (shown in action) appears to be a juvenile Bald Eagle. They don't get the characteristic white heads until maturity.
I don't know why they are using bald eagles either but perhaps it is precisely because they are non-native. The Netherlands probably has laws restricting possession and handling of native raptors, including Golden eagles. These laws might not apply to imports, like the Bald Eagle.
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If I came to their country, took one of their cows, and then proudly ate it, yeah, that would be kinda shitty too.
We're not talking about foreigners visiting the US and kidnapping your bald eagles for pets though.
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We're not talking about foreigners visiting the US and kidnapping your bald eagles for pets though.
Yes, we are. Those animals don't exist in the wild in Europe. Someone at some point had to come to North America, grab one, and take it back to Europe.
Cut out the middlemen (Score:2)
Why don't we just cut out the middlemen and teach eagles how to fly around with cameras and little missiles?
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Or better still, put laser beams on their heads.
They will run out of birds before drones. (Score:3)
What does such a bird cost? How many can you deploy at once and how many drones can it remove per unit of time? Can you train it to ignore a $20, deliberately attractive, decoy drone (or ten) an target the payload drone instead?
The only generally useful and economically viable anti-drone system is one that can take out hundreds per minute and at a significant range without causing collateral damage by spraying the surroundings with debris or projectiles, and without causing broadcasted broadband electromagnetic interference.
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The above post looks like it should be some sort of joke with the fantasy of having to stop hundreds of drones per minute instead of a few potential operations per year.
Not an issue (Score:4, Informative)
It's not actually meant for anything like that at all.
In the video, the cops explain (in Dutch, so I completely understand that this isn't obvious to parent) that it's meant to take out the odd drone that is - often inadvertently - flying somewhere where it really shouldn't, such as near an airport, or somewhere where an air ambulance needs to land. Nowhere in the video is it claimed that the system will be used to stop terrorists, smuggling, mass idiocy, or anything like that. Consider it the air equivalent of a police canine unit.
Re:They will run out of birds before drones. (Score:5, Insightful)
Another in a long list of moronic solutions that will never work against an intelligent attack, or even a large number of idiots.
Firstly, this is research; so, they are saying "could this work?" Research is what you do when you don't know, but want to find out. Secondly, they are not talking about large, sustained attacks - hopefully there will better ways of handling this, but there is a need to protect certain areas, like airports, from the occasional, stray drone.
One reason it seems attractive to use a trained animal is that animals are already fully autonomous. If you can train large birds of prey to attack drones, you can pretty much leave it to patrol the area. Birds are territorial, so they will tend to stay within an area, if there is enough food available, and it is already well known that these birds can be trained to always come back to their handlers for food. All in all, it might not be a stupid idea to try to get it to work.
What really made me decide to comment on this was the never-ending contraryness that always meets news about things people don't understand or don't feel fits in to their own, narrow field of interest. Looking back, it seems to me like most of the best things innovations started as something that people didn't understand and couldn't see the point in. If it had been obvious to most, it wouldn't have been much of an innovation, really.
Electrocution (Score:2)
let me try (Score:2)
I wonder if this is not being done all ready. Some guy growing drugs notices that there seem to be too many drones flying around and decides to take matter into his own hands. Better than shooting the drones with a rifle, as there is culpable deniability.
Maybe a machine solution? (Score:2)
The risk of hurting the eagle really makes this a bad idea. If only there was some sort of machine that could do this job, like a robo-eagle? It'd have to be an agile remote-controlled flying machine which used a camera to send images back to the operator.
Sadly such a thing hasn't been invented yet.
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If they actually start using birds to catch drones, then criminals (who are misusing them, for example for "smugling" ho ho) will just start mounting sharp spikes on drones. If you make them thin and pointy enough, there is a serious danger than the bird will not see them and will impale itself. This is a horribly stupid thing to do.
Am I the only one.... (Score:2)
Eagle Injury. No! (Score:3)
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Eagles with machine guns.
AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!
why is this not a thing? (Score:2)
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Can't someone build a $5 jammer and whoever is controlling a drone no longer can?
Drones by definition have GPS and autopilot. You are thinking of remote-control aircraft.
Hope the birds have spare claws... (Score:1)
...because they're going to lose a few with the rotors of any half-decent drone...
Why the haste with this article? (Score:1)
Arms race? (Score:2)
Am I the only one to see an arms race here? - Drones armed to take out birds, or escort drones means to distract the birds and keep them from attacking the important drone?
Like all arms races it can only either end badly or never - continuously escalating.
Stupid (Score:1)
The bird will be injured and never attack a drone again or worse, killed.
Try catching my 650 with 15 inch carbon fiber blades, a smart bird wouldn't get near it.
You Know Where Falconry is Still Popular? (Score:2)
Falconry is still popular in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Stupid police. (Score:3)
A Cheerson CX-20 is around the same size as a Phantom, and one has already accidentally killed a bald eagle that had attacked it: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=33893158&postcount=56152 [rcgroups.com]