Jerusalem, 22 July, 2024 (TPS) -- Israeli researchers unveiled a smart-tagging system to track and identify aerial drones in challenging conditions, such as urban environments, low-flight altitudes and extreme weather.
Traditionally, drone identification relies on radars, cameras, and transponders, with the latter providing real-time location updates in civilian contexts. However, these methods often falter in harsh conditions, such as limited visibility, crowded air traffic, and obstructive buildings that block satellite signals.
Reports of unauthorized drones entering restricted areas of airports have raised safety concerns. In 2017, Ben Gurion International Airport was forced to shut down its airspace, suspending all arrivals and departures for 15 minutes when a civilian drone entered a prohibited area. In 2015, an incoming airplane was forced to adjust its course to avoid a collision with a drone.
And the US Federal Aviation Administration reported in 2024 that it receives more than 100 such reports every month.