Modified flare gun aims to launch a wireless camera 75 meters in the air
A wireless spy camera launcher may be the next gadget to make the leap from military to civilian life.
Joshua Marpet models the 37mm flare launcher used to launch a wireless spy camera.
The Fire Fly is basically a wireless camera which is shot 150 meters in the air by a grenade launcher, transmitting a bird’s-eye view back to the controller – but its manufacturer, Israeli defense contractor Rafael Armament Development Authority doesn’t offer it to civilians (and good luck finding a grenade launcher). Vlad Gostom and Joshua Marpet, a couple of DIY hardware hackers, decided that since the military doesn’t want to share their toy, they’d make their own version.
The concept behind the Fire Fly is not unique amongst defense contractors. U.S. based Martin Electronics has been offering their version, the HUNTIR (High-altitude Unit Navigated Tactical Imaging Round), for a number of years – though again, not available to private citizens.
Gostom and Marpet unveiled the current iteration of their civilian DIY spy camera launcher this past weekend at DEF CON. Held this year at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, DEF CON is one of the largest and oldest hacker conventions. Instead of using a grenade launcher (which would be completely illegal) as the military version does, their device uses a modified flare gun. The DIY model fires a small camera which transmits photos back to the controller using a 5.8 GHz transmitter as it soars up and then parachutes down.
Vlad Gostom and Joshua Marpet's wireless camera projectile.
While they hope to have a prototype firing 75 meters in the air within a couple of months, their initial test fell somewhat short. Launched at a neighbour’s farm, the camera managed about 30 feet before plummeting to the earth with a partially incinerated parachute. “This was a good version one,” Marpet said in an interview.
The military advantages of being able to reconnoiter an area without having to enter it are clear, “For the first time, infantry soldiers, Special Forces, and law enforcement units can obtain instantaneous live photos from areas without line of sight.” There are also many non-military applications for this type of device such as search-and-rescue (on land and at sea), surveying, inspecting large structures for damage, SWAT and police reconnaissance, wildlife tracking, hunting and – of course – just messing around.
With the sometimes astronomical budgets allotted to militaries it’s not surprising that some fantastic technology is being developed in this sector. Some of history’s greatest inventions may have only been realized due the infinite concerns of the battlefield. It’s unfortunate when technologies which may be beneficial to the civilian population (even life-saving) are restricted to military applications – I’m glad to see this won’t be the case with this particular innovation.
There’s no word on when this DIY version may be ready for mass market but you can be sure, now that the cat’s out of the bag on this useful and entertaining technology, it won’t be long before it’s on shelves in one form or another.
Can you think of any other civilian applications for this type of device?
Update: Joshua has pointed out that their lofty goal has been misreported. “We are aiming for 3-400 meters in the air, not 75,” says Marpet – even better I say.
[via TechWorld]
[...] we made a website called Sync, albeit with a few details wrong. We are aiming for 3-400 meters in the air, not 75, but hey, [...]
Remote hovering cameras have been around for years. They are steerable with height and distance restricted only by the power of the radio control and longer lasting per use. I’d rather have one of these than a one up and down shot and then have to find it once it lands two kilometres away.
I cannot think of one civilian reason to have one other than a short-lived novelty.
What is the point? doesn’t that already exist? Swat or army have robots or unmanned devices that can hover over targets.
It’s true that this, and simliar, technologies have been around for some time in the military sector. The difference here is that we may soon be seeing it as consumers. If the projectile camera and high-speed wireless system can be simplified and the costs reduced we could be seeing these used in day to day situations from photographing your campsite to novelty family photos, “everybody look up!”