Wednesday, March 27, 2024

LEMUR tactical drone can break windows, negotiate with suspects

Lives are at risk when SWAT teams push into high-risk searches, no-knock warrants, and barricade situations. What is needed is a way to find and communicate with suspects without risking conflict in SWAT callout scenarios.

Recently, an American drone company, BRINC Drones, has announced LEMUR, a drone designed to help SWAT teams locate, isolate, and communicate with suspects. The drone – developed in collaboration with Drone Nerds, North America’s largest drone distributor, and the Las Vegas Metro SWAT team.

Its design is quite classic, based on a carbon structure. The propeller guards make it possible to touch obstacles without interrupting the flight. A ruggedized and durable composition combined with an easy-to-use payload bay allows the LEMUR to break glass, scale stairs, open doors, and flip over after crashes.

LEMUR tactical drone can break windows, negotiate with suspects.
The drone is designed to help SWAT teams locate, isolate, and communicate with suspects. Credit: BRINC Drones

Effective at breaking tempered, automotive, and most residential glass, the glass breaker spins up to 30,000 RPM and allows the LEMUR to make entry into structures. It can be easily attached to the payload mount using three thumb screws.

The LEMUR’s novel battery technology is based on Lithium-ion chemistry and allows for 31 minutes of flight time with up to 10 hours of perch time. It is built to be flown first-person view (FPV) and has a modular high definition RGB camera, built-in night vision, and IR illuminators to ensure operations run smoothly in the most demanding indoor environments.

LEMUR tactical drone can break windows, negotiate with suspects.
LEMUR can open door. Credit: BRINC Drones

The camera is interchangeable – the original one is 1080p at 60 frames per second with a sensor capable of filming in very low light. It can be doubled with an infrared sensor for vision in the dark. The radio, video, and audio data link is encrypted. The developers claim that when working in a building, it is able to maintain communication with the operator through two standard houses and with a range of 13 km under optimal conditions. The information recorded on board is stored on a microSD memory card.

LEMUR comes equipped with a powerful 2-way communication system, enabling crisis negotiators to talk through the drone and negotiate with suspects.

In addition, the drone can correct commands on its own; for example, if the LEMUR ends upon its back, it can flip itself over and relaunch to finish a mission. It also includes a general-purpose dropper built to carry and release payloads up to 1 lb. using a basic zip tie attachment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfBGLfq43jM

The device is IP24; it can be used in a humid or rainy environment. The remote control is a model with an integrated 7-inch feedback screen, hardened with a carbon and aluminum casing for use in harsh environments, and equipped with Hall effect joysticks.

Only SWAT officers will have access to the drone; it will not be popularly marketed.