Page 50 - GCN, April/May 2018

Aerial drones pose a real risk around airports and large public events, so spotting and disabling them is a key public safety challenge. DroneShield’s Sentry towers combine both sensors and countermeasures to detect airborne threats at a distance of a half-mile or more, then jam
the drones’ signal and force them down. The system was tested at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, and Texas law enforcement agencies deployed it for an April NASCAR race.
Phones for first responders
t
Tech we hope to see in the public sector
... and defending against them
As FirstNet’s nationwide public safety broadband network begins to come online, state and local first responders must start upgrading their equipment to take full advantage. Samsung’s Galaxy S9 Plus is one of the first mobile devices to be certified as FirstNet-ready, and operates on the dedicated Band 14 spectrum with push-to-talk functionality. The phone is water- and dust-resistant, and supports both iris and facial recognition to authenticate users.
Image credits (clockwise): Zipline, DroneShield, Samsung
WishLis
Delivery by drones...
The Marines (see p. 40) aren’t the only ones looking to resupply via unmanned aerial systems. California-based Zipline has been using drones to deliver to remote medical outposts in Africa since 2016, and the firm’s new fixed-wing UAS can ship small loads as far as 50 miles at speeds
of nearly 80 mph. Zipline says its reengineered distribution centers
can support up to 500 flights per day — opening new possibilities as the Federal Aviation Administration works toward allowing “beyond-line-of- sight” operations in the U.S.
What technologies do you think GCN readers should see? Tell us on Twitter: @GCNtech #GCNwishlist.