Japanese security firm to rent surveillance drones for use in private homes

Madison Ruppert, Contributor
Activist Post

Just when you thought the rapid advance of drone technology couldn’t get any more unbelievable, a Japanese security firm has announced that they will offer surveillance drones on a rental basis for a meager $58 per month starting some time after April, 2014.

Offering rental drones for private use is quite novel, although it seems to be part of a larger trend towards using or planning to use drones in non-military applications ranging from broadcast television news-gathering to traffic monitoring and police use (also see below video):

Yet with the development of drone sensors capable of capturing 36 square miles in a single blink, the rise of long-distance solar-powered electric drones along with drone-based systems capable of employing EMP missiles and automatically spotting and tracking people from 25,000 feet and drones with facial recognition, biometrics and threat assessment capabilities, these drones seem like child’s play.

This particular drone is the AscTec Pelican, a quadrotor drone, manufactured by Ascending Technologies out of Germany, although the service will be offered by the Japanese firm Secom.

Secom did, however, create their own software package and added on some other sensors and accessories designed for its role as a private security drone.

“It’s not designed to do any proactive security, but rather to take on more of a surveillance role, collecting pics of unfamiliar people and vehicles and notifying the authorities,” according to IEEE Spectrum.

The Pelican is by no means on par with the Silent Falcon or Great Horned Owl Program and is not all that stealthy when conducting this kind of surveillance.

As you can see in the below video, the drone is actually quite noisy although as IEEE Spectrum points out, it might actually “serve as something of a deterrent.”

“The flying robot could take off if our online security systems detect any unauthorized entry,” said Secom spokeswoman Asuko Saito, according to AFP.

“It would enable us to quickly check out what’s actually happening on the spot,” Saito added.

IEEE Spectrum makes a good point in noting, “the potential problem, though, is that one swift smack with that crowbar would likely end the useful service life of your drone. Our advice? Either put lasers on the thing, or give it an arm so that it can haul perps directly to the hoosegow.”

The drone is capable of transmitting live images of a crime in progress and according to Secom it is “the world’s first autonomous private drone for security use” measuring 24 inches wide and weighing only 3.5 pounds.

The other robot with the Secom logo shown in the video is the RobotX, yet another private security robot offered by the Japanese firm.

Check out RobotX confronting intruders in the below video:

The drone will be offered as part of Secom’s online security system and “will allow factory managers to monitor areas left uncovered by static cameras,” according to AFP.

While the service will first be offered in Japan, Secom has stated that they would like to offer it in other countries as well.

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This article first appeared at End the Lie.

Madison Ruppert is the Editor and Owner-Operator of the alternative news and analysis database End The Lie and has no affiliation with any NGO, political party, economic school, or other organization/cause. He is available for podcast and radio interviews. Madison also now has his own radio show on UCYTV Monday nights 7 PM – 9 PM PT/10 PM – 12 AM ET. Show page link here: http://UCY.TV/EndtheLie. If you have questions, comments, or corrections feel free to contact him at [email protected]