Active Drone Denial

Project goal: To design and build a prototype system to disable unmanned aircraft. The Federal Communications Commission has begun regulating unmanned aircraft but they can still cause harm in the wrong hands. The system designed disables communication between the remote controller and the unmanned aircraft and aims to prevent this potential harm. Communication is disabled using a high-powered router that emits the same frequencies as unmanned aircraft that operate at 2.4–5.8 GHz. The frequency is amplified and transmitted by a high-power directional antenna. Amplification ensures that the frequencies overpower the controller’s transmissions and that path loss is reduced throughout the transmission. The design includes a control system with an LCD screen, which is used to direct the transmission toward the unmanned aircraft and for active amplification of waves via mechanical switch. Once the amplifier is activated,the unmanned aircraft is unable to register the controller’s commands, causing it to fall from the sky or return to its user.