Techonology

Fine-tuned acoustic waves can remove the drone from the sky. Mint

As children are happy to learn in science class everywhere, sound can shatter glass. Maybe this is also possible, then, using acoustic waves to disrupt electromachanical sensors that need to fly the drone? To find out, four engineering students at the University of Toronto revived small car speakers together to “destroy a drone” with the sound together, as one of them, Michael Aquaviva, puts it. It acted in early tests, although only in a close range. Wobbled drone 50 cm away. At 25 cm, they crashed.

Come in the spring of 2024, after increasing the power supply of the kit and the speakers were replaced with the transducer, able to produce ultrasonic waves, the system was recorded in a counter-drain competition organized by the Defense Department of Canada. Team’s design tied to the second award, won C $ 375,000 ($ 262,000). Its members established a small startup, product dynamics, which is now a prototype plan, which is the size of a carry-on suitcase suitable for the use of battleground by June. The desired initial attack range is 100 meters.

Prandtl’s unique “soft kiln” sonic “sonic” exploits the trend of arms material, when exposure to acoustic energy, especially if the sound waves correspond to the resonant frequency of the material. Partha Mahendru, the owner of the firm, the system of the firm, says, the energy focuses in a narrow acoustic “laser” that obstructs other things, the gyroscope drone is required for a stable flight. To detect the drone and target the acoustic beam, the system records sound waves by going to the drone and using C $ 30 costing C $ 30 for data crunch data from the sky-scanning camera.

Prandtl expects, perhaps optimally, to spread the range of his “sound matrix”, as employees mention the kit, up to 150 meters. There are only 50 meters or so effective range in many strategic jammers on the front between Russia and Ukraine.

Severe, many new drones carrying into the sky in that struggle are imperative for traditional jamming anyway. Some fly using the internal-diocese system that compare live video with an on-board camera with a preloaded area map, with artificial intelligence selected. Others receive commands through an unplaying wire. Both drone types will be weak, at least in principle, for acoustic attacks of the sharpal.

Prandtl is compiling a library of various acoustic waves that can exclude different types of small drones. Effective acoustic attacks against some 35 drone models have been worked so far. In this process, the engineers of Prandtl are learning some amazing tricks. By modifying the dimensions of a wave and other characteristics, the system can interfere or even get a measure to control specific subcutams such as a gimbal or camera shutter. “We can blind the drone, or we can crash the drone,” Mr. Mahendru.

Prandtl is also designing a 4kg “backpack” model to protect foot soldiers. The firm’s Chief Operating Officer, Anna Polteva believes that it can be built for less than $ 2,000. The US armed forces, Ukrainian defense contractors and others are being questioned. But the company also spies a market for a non-monetary environment, where traditional jamming is generally illegal. For citizens angry with the Pesky drone, disabling their cameras may be better to crash them.

© 2025, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under license. The original material can be found on www.economist.com

(Tagstotransite) acoustic waves (T) drone (T) drone camera (T) Foot Soldier
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