The Air Force is making pocket-sized surveillance drones

The Air Force is making pocket-sized surveillance drones
(Image credit: Joern Haufe/Getty Images)

The Air Force is funding a project to design and build pocket-sized drones called "Extreme Access Pocket Flyers." The miniature hexacopters will offer 360-degree camera views, and the drones will be used for difficult search and rescue operations in which a driving robot is impractical.

However, the drones' developers see much wider applications than rescue efforts — a potential cause for concern to civil liberties advocates. "Just like a camera, the best drone is the one you have with you. The market potential is one for every soldier, marine, police officer, SWAT team member, and many other jobs that expose people to danger," said Helen Greiner, the CEO of CyPhy Works, the contractor responsible for development.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.