RfPatrol

Defence forces, prisons, stadiums, airports, and public events around the world see increasing threats and disruptions from drones that menace government and military personnel, infrastructure, and security operations. RfPatrol was a response to an Australian Government tender to counteract the drone problem. The customer required a 360° drone detection capability to provide visual and audio alerts to the user, with rapid design and delivery within approximately five months. The device was to fit into a compact, body-mounted, lightweight form to avoid burdening personnel with excessive weight, and had to withstand demanding environmental conditions.

Interviews with military and police end users set our goals. To ensure RfPatrol was instantly intuitive and fit operators' standard kits, design was informed by the form factor of tactical radios with universal field adoption. RfPatrol's look-and-feel is immediately familiar. The design and materials selection, while functional and practical, also inspires trust in the operator that this critical piece of security hardware will alert and protect them in volatile situations. The detection algorithms and UI design filter out unwanted signals using Artificial Intelligence. The solution balances best-in-class drone-detection sophistication with low-cognitive-burden simplicity of use-in a rugged, environmentally suitable package.

As a first-of-its-kind product, RfPatrol's design has been central to its global commercial success. As a security and defence product, any design shortcomings--such as unintuitive design or unreliable performance--could lead to real-world injury to personnel and property. Therefore, DroneShield designed RfPatrol to: be immediately intuitive to the intended end user, operate with minimal cognitive burden by minimizing nuisance false-positive or -negative drone detections, provide persistent 10+ hour protection on a single quick-swap battery, allow the user to operate in complete stealth when needed with haptic-only alerts and zero light or sound emissions, and offer military-grade durability.

The RfPatrol was DroneShield's first fully-integrated radio frequency detection device developed in-house, and has become a market-defining counter-drone product. It outperforms in its class by effectively detecting a wide variety of drones and their remote controllers up to 4 km, even in crowded radio frequency signal environments. A quiet, passive device that emits no radio signals, it is safe to use at public events. Operational flexibility is a key feature of the RfPatrol. Its compact form means it can be body worn, fixed to a building or mast, or mounted to a vehicle. Multiple power and attachment options are also provided. Users can control how they receive alerts, including haptic-only 'Stealth' and no-audio 'Glimpse' modes. One-handed control of settings and features is complemented by hands-free operation while in use for receiving drone detections and alerts. Designed to military specifications, the durable mechanical and electronic componentry is designed, manufactured, assembled, and tested in Australia. The RfPatrol is supported by easy-install, remote updates that enable the operator to keep their device detection database updated with the evolving threat environment. Output data can be integrated with other security and Battle Management Systems. Field-replaceable componentry increases serviceability.