ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - From space debris to rogue drones: how a net-firing gun could help counter both problems [Aug/2022]
Italian Engineering firm STAM is developing a net-firing gun,
called the Drone Catcher, based on ESA-funded research to remove space debris,
to tackle the growing problem of disruption caused by illegally-flown drones at
public events.
By 2026, it is forecasted that the global commercial drone
market will be worth $58.4 billion, growing an estimated 16% a year. Hobbyists
can easily purchase a simple drone weighing a few hundred grams for under €100,
without a license and with little or no paperwork, depending on the country. Drones
also have the potential to disrupt large events, such as football games or
concerts, spoiling the enjoyment of millions of fans, and have interrupted a
number of high-profile sporting events in recent years.
Under ESA contract from 2013-2016 Italian engineering firm, STAM,
developed a parametric simulator for active debris removal using nets, ARDiNET
(Net parametric characterisation and parabolic test), in partnership with
Polish firms, SKA and OptiNav. This space debris technology is now being
adapted to capture rogue drones on Earth. Under ESA contract, STAM have
leveraged their expertise developed on the ADRiNET and ADR1EN projects to
develop a net-firing gun called Drone Catcher. In the event that a drone enters the stadium, one of
several Drone Catchers mounted to the stadium itself fires a net at high speed
at the drone. The drone quickly becomes entangled in the net, aided by the
motion of its blades, then is rapidly retrieved using a powerful motor, before
it ever hits the ground.
Unlike some other potential solutions, the Drone Catcher can
be safety used above crowded areas, such as stadiums. The drone is swiftly
retrieved in one piece, never falling below a 3m height. This is a key
advantage of STAM’s solution and is derived from two important design features.
Firstly, the solution is non-destructive, i.e., does not destroy the drone it
captures. non-destructive solution confers other benefits besides increased
safety. Keeping the captured drone intact allows for forensic analysis and
means the drone itself can be used as evidence of a crime. Secondly, the Drone
Catcher uses a powerful motor to quickly reel in the net and drone after its
capture. The net is reeled in fast enough that even at a distance of 30m from
the gun, the drone should never get within 3m of the ground, leaving a safe
distance between peoples’ heads and the captured drone.
STAM have designed their system to take down drones weighing
up to 8kg, although further testing will be required to reach this weight in
practice.
The full case study report can be accessed in the restricted
area here
(please log in before).
The infographics can be accessed in the restricted area here (please log in before).
This initiative is led by ESA's Technology Transfer and Patent Management Unit (TTPO) in ESA's Directorate for Commercialisation, Industry & Procurement. The Unit is guiding start-ups, entrepreneurs and European businesses in developing spin-offs for ESA's space technologies. More recent successful transfers can be accessed at: Technology Transfer - Funded Projects. For more information, please contact patent@esa.int.
More articles of the category: Articles in news section
Copernicus Summer Series - Golf Course monitoring in Italy
Copernicus Summer Series - Oil Spill in the Mediterranean
Copernicus Summer Series - Irrigation Detection & Mapping in...
Copernicus Summer Series - Wildfire Management in Greece
ESA Space Economy – Understanding data on the space sector’s...
Eurospace publishes the 2024 update of its facts & figures s...
ECSECO, the European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce
ESA HQ welcomes the 1st Edition of the ECSECO Space Economy...
U.S. BEA publishes updates on the U.S. space economy’s contr...
ESA Space Economy – Partnering with CERN to share best pract...
ESA Space Economy – Partnering with Eurostat and the Europea...
ESA Space Economy – Partnering with the OECD to develop inte...
ESA ARTES Partnership Projects, providing the satcom industr...
European Human Space Transportation: Technological, Social a...
Upcoming event: ECSECO Space Economy Days
EUSPA publishes the 2nd Issue of its EO and GNSS Market Repo...
The OECD publishes the 2nd Edition of its flagship publicati...
Space Forum for Green Energy, an upcoming event from the ESA...
ESPI publishes its annual report on the private investment i...
FutureEO, critical enabler of EO benefits for the European e...
The OECD publishes the 2nd Edition of the Handbook on Measur...
Terrae Novae: from inspiring Europe’s generations to support...
ESA TIA ARTES programme’s continuous boost to the commercial...
Exploiting the remarkable potential of space technology tran...
Technology developments for ESA science missions empowering...
Space Economy activities to support ESA Council at Ministeri...
ESA Space Economy Team presents a paper on “Statistic and th...
European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce (ECSECO) pres...
ESPI Yearbook 2021 – Space Policies, Issues, and Trends of t...
ESA Science Core Technology Development Success Story - Broa...
ESA Science Core Technology Development Success Story - Game...
ESA Science Core Technology Development Success Story - Grou...
ESA Science Core Technology Development Success Story - Fost...
ESA Science Core Technology Development Success Story - Crit...
ESA Science Core Technology Development Success Story - Unri...
ESA Science Core Technology Development Success Story - Firs...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - A new perspective: s...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Dry electrodes to mo...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Closing the loop: ho...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Uncovering the secre...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Landing zone assessm...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Space at home: using...
Space-based Solar Power: Contributing to achieving Net Zero...
ESA Space Operations and Space Safety activities: supporting...
Europe decides to increase ESA’s budget by 17% compared to t...
European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce (ECSECO) conc...
Seven Benefit Case Studies of ESA's Space Safety programme
OECD Policy Paper: How the War in Ukraine is affecting Spac...
Beyond Borders: Satellite Applications for Humanitarian Emer...
“Earth’s Orbits at Risk”, 2022 OECD report on the Economics...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - The missing layer: h...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Powering a village f...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - No such thing as a w...
Eurospace releases its annual Facts & Figures Report: The Eu...
“International Space Station (ISS) Benefits for Humanity”; 2...
Valuing the benefits of ESA Aeolus missions to European deci...
European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce (ECSECO) offi...
ESPI Space Venture 2021 – Entrepreneurship and Investment in...
ESPI Space Venture 2022 – Investment in the European and Glo...
ECSECO open for membership registration on its official webs...
ESA Centre to develop Europe’s Space Economy and promote com...
The OECD Space Forum launches second phase of research oppor...
EARSC showcasing Copernicus uses for Environmental Complianc...
Creation of the European Centre for Space Economy and Commer...
ESA-Eurostat workshop on a European Space Economy Satellite...
EUSPA publishes EO and GNSS Market Report 2022
BEA’s “Estimating the United States Space Economy Using Inpu...
The Economics of Big Science: Examining Socio-Economic Impac...
Eurospace releases its annual Facts & Figures Report: The Eu...
The European Commission publishes the 2021 Edition of its Be...
ESPI Yearbook 2020 – Monitoring the development of the Europ...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Using space heritage...
EARSC workshop showcasing 24 Copernicus Sentinel value case...
The Canadian Space Agency publishes the 2021 & 2022 State of...
OECD’s examination of Space Technology Transfers and their C...
PwC’s ‘Lunar market assessment: market trends and challenges...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Space-style control...
ESA Technology Transfer Success Story - Cities as Spaceships...
ESA joins the Universeh inaugural conference to address the...
ESA announces winners of the Global Space Markets Challenge
SPAC and the Space Industry
G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting 2021
Top 12 companies selected in Global Space Markets Challenge
Global Space Markets Challenge: Longlists announced
Measuring how space creates jobs and prosperity on Earth
The Size & Health of the UK Space industry in 2019
Copernicus Sentinel data supporting the pulp and paper indus...
Entrepreneurship and private investment trends in the Europe...
Global Space Markets Challenge Competition
Metalysis–ESA Grand Challenge: team Malt wins first phase
The International, North American and European Statistical C...
OECD’s approach to space sustainability and the economics of...
China’s Space Sector: Commercialisation with Chinese Charact...
Space Architecture: Economic impacts, future developments an...
ESA_Lab@UCLan: Assessing the public value of ESA programmes
Call for participants: OECD's initiative on the value and su...
Big Science in the 21st Century – a new e-book published by...
Financing SMEs: options for SMEs and Midcaps in Europe
The socio-economic value of satellite Earth observations: hu...
Copernicus Sentinel Data supporting wine making in France
ESA_Lab@Kozminski: A new bird in the nest of ESA_Lab
ESA_Lab@PoliBa: De’ remi facemmo ali
OECD's analysis of the impacts of Covid-19 on the Space indu...
Post-crisis scenarios for the space industry
Resilience of the space sector to the Covid-19 crisis
Financing space: options for SMEs and midcaps in Europe
Discussing impact assessment of Big Science projects during...
ESA and Metalysis Organised the First Grand Challenge Midter...
Watch again the GSEW Online
Non-space business? We want to hear from you
Join the Third Online Global Space Economic Workshop
Join the Second Online Global Space Economic Workshop
Join the First Online Global Space Economic Workshop
Watch again the GSEF 19
Interview with Eric Morel de Westgaver on Europe's space eco...
Global Space Economic Forum: Space Creates Value
Kick off of Metalysis – ESA Grand Challenge: the Race to Min...
ESA at the New Space Economy European Expoforum
Advancing the understanding and measurement of the societal...
ESA Space Economy Brochure
Space cybersecurity for smart cities
Space workshops to power urban innovation
Building and powering by disruptive innovation
Challenges of future urban settlements on the Moon and Mars
ESA at the New Space Economy European Expoforum
Two Teams Competing for a Half-million Prize
Creating value
ESA and Metalysis decide to suspend temporarily the Grand Ch...
Value created by ESA Telecommunication Partnership Projects
Value created by ESA's Future Earth Observation Pillar
Value created by ESA Science Programme
Value created by ESA's Ground Systems Engineering and Operat...
The socio-economic impact of space activities
Measuring the Space Economy
Value created by ESA's Clean Space Initiative
The Covid Crisis: for European SMEs, this could be a breakth...
Why it is important to keep investing in space during and af...
What is the Space Economy?
A closer look at the latest Earth Observation Services Indus...
ESA Global Space Economic Forum
Welcome to the Global Space Economic Workshop
The benefits of Copernicus’ Sentinel data to society, enviro...
ESA announces first Global Space Economic Forum
Global Space Economic Workshop
Discussing solutions at the Global Space Economic Workshop
Building cybersecurity at the Global Space Economic Workshop
Global Space Economic Workshop
Interview with Vincent Bastide on construction
A closer look at OECD’s methodology for assessing the scient...
Interview with Guglielmo Baeli on the oil and gas sector
Interview with Giulia Pastorella on cybersecurity
Last chance to join the competition
OECD’s analysis of the impacts of Covid-19 on the space indu...
ESA at Station F: looking for applications to the first Gran...
Compete in a lunar economy
The Moon Race: Pioneering Sustainable Lunar Exploration
Value created by ESA's Space Systems for Safety and Security...
Metalysis–ESA Grand Challenge launched
A closer look at the European Commission’s Guide to Cost-Ben...
Value created by ESA's planetary defence initiative and Hera...
A community of innovation at the Farnborough Airshow and ESA
Join us at Le Bourget to discuss space for commercial purpos...
Game changers for the ESA Grand Challenge
Setting the stage
Fuel the future by joining the Innovation Exchange
ESA Grand Challenge rewards solutions to complex problems